


Loving All Over The World

by funfan



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blindfolds, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Explicit Sexual Content, Hand Jobs, Light BDSM, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-28 19:18:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 62
Words: 84,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2744090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funfan/pseuds/funfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU coming together story set in the world of airliners. Marco is a pilot who misses the adventure from his life but can Erik give it to him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Business as Usual

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoForGoals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/gifts).



> I warn you in advance, I don't know much about how airlines work, so I put together this story based on what I find on the internet, so it might be full of errors, but I'll try to keep their number at minimum. If you find any errors, excuse me and you are free to make angry (or any other kinds of) comments.
> 
> This fic is dedicated to two wonderful persons, one who got me into this ship and another one who just won't let me go, I hope you like it. :)

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are about to begin our final descent to Frankfurt Airport. Currently the weather in Frankfurt is pleasant; the temperature is above 25 degrees. For the duration of our landing, please fasten your seatbelts. We have enjoyed having you on board today and hope to see you again real soon. Thanks again for flying Lufthansa.” Marco rattled the all too familiar speech he had to give every second or third day for the past five years of his life. He sighed as he bent forward and turned off the speakers in the aircraft cabins.

It was a perfect flight. They had fantastic weather all the way, with hardly any wind. As much as he appreciated such trouble free flights, he somehow missed the adventurous side of it. It was crazy, but there were moments when he’d pray for turbulence. But after all, he had no family, no-one to return to. Whenever he got home, an empty and cold bed awaited him, not much to look forward to. Perhaps that was the reason he flew much more than anyone else at the airline. Or at least anyone else he knew.

“Don’t you get fed up with it?” Thomas smiled at him from the seat of the co-pilot. “I mean these speeches. Always the same template?”

“Well, I got used to it.” Marco shrugged as his eyes swept over the instruments on the plane’s dashboard. “Now let’s put her down!” He said with fake enthusiasm trying to conceal his dullness.

Actually, he _was_ fed up with his job. It was everything he had always dreamt of as a kid: flying up high and touching the skies. But as it happens usually, the reality was much more tedious than dreams. He had thought that visiting new places all the time would keep him interested but he soon learnt that all the big cities were practically the same. No matter where he was, he slept in the same kind of bed, ate the same food and watched the same movies over and over again.

And time passed by slowly. His friends got married and started families. It was hard to deal with them speaking over some nice photos of their newborn children, when he knew he would never have any of it, no matter how hard he longed for it. He could still recall the moment he came out to his closest colleagues. Thomas just patted his shoulder and shrugged, mumbling an ‘okay’. And no-one went further than that.

They landed smoothly and as Marco started braking he heard the subdued sound of clapping from behind the cockpit. _They wouldn’t be so cheerful if they knew that most accidents happen after landing_ , he thought to himself and smiled sourly. After many years in the job, the touchdown was the only thing that gave him some kind of challenge and immediate satisfaction.

He drove the plane to the arrival’s terminal and as they waited for the airport staff to ready the jet bridge, they went through all the control displays, checking that everything was alright. They waited patiently for the passengers to leave the plane and they stepped out of the cockpit.

“Well done, captain!” The chief purser smiled at him with the trained grin she wore every single time. And Marco knew she would wash it off once she left the plane.

“Thanks, Anne. Any chance you’ll fly with me back overseas?”

“I’m afraid no. I’ll be on vacation for the next week, so you’ll have to do without me.” They got out of the plane.

“You’re professionalism will be much missed.” Marco noted with no little irony and Thomas giggled behind him. Anne was the only one from the crew members in Frankfurt who’d openly criticize the pilots that were younger than her. Which was a pity, since slowly every pilot was younger than Anne.

As they got closer to the gate, they heard the buzz of the passengers waiting for their luggage. They made their way to the crew’s entrance where they handed over their license to the young lady sitting behind the security check desk. Marco and Thomas waited politely for the cabin crew to go through the procedure.

“Enjoyed your stay in America, Herr Reus?” She smiled at Marco as she checked their papers.

“I can’t complain.”

“I wish you’d take me once with you.” Her grin grew wider as she handed them back their ids.

“Any time, darling.” Marco returned her gesture and they started off toward the crew lounge.

“Keeping many irons in the fire, are we?” Thomas winked at him.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Come on, that girl is crazy about you and you let her flirt with you. Isn’t that mean or something?”

“Look, I’ve never encouraged her. And if some flirting is good for her, I won’t mind. Plus, it flatters my ego.” He laughed.

“Not that it needs any more nourishing.” Thomas noted jokingly.

They came to the glass door leading to the crew lounge. It was a place that no passenger ever saw, at least not in real life. Thomas politely opened the door and Marco stepped inside. There was barely anyone in the huge room, the comfortable couches and armchairs waited calmly for anyone to use them. Marco and Thomas walked to a leather sofa in the corner, just next to the coffee machine. They dropped their briefcases on the floor and Marco slumped down on the couch, while his co-pilot started to prepare some of the much valuable black beverage.

“So, who does our captain’s heart beat for then?” Thomas inquired as he sat down next to Marco, placing two cups on the coffee table in front of them.

“Chill out, Thomas. There’s no-one like that.”

“Yes, that’s hard to believe. I don’t know how these things work with your kind of guys” He started and earned a disapproving look from Marco. “, but I’m sure that they aren’t blind. Neither am I and I have no problem admitting that you are a handsome guy, Marco. So don’t try to persuade me that there’s no-one hitting on you apart from our young security girl.”

“Don’t you have to hurry home or something?” Marco sighed as he took a sip from his coffee.

He felt uncomfortable discussing his private life. Not just with Thomas, but with anyone. That is because he practically didn’t have a private life and no love life whatsoever. He spent almost all his time working and when he had a few days off, he visited his parents, getting over the compulsory round of maintaining family relations.

Not that he hadn’t tried. He had gone to bars now and then, trying to find that Mr. Special, but all his attempts were shattered by his incapability to speak to guys he liked. He found it too ridiculous; he had no problem flying a jet, dozens of lives in his hands, but when it came to flirting, he didn’t have the courage.

“Well, I’m meeting Lisa in a few minutes.” Thomas noted as he checked his watch. “But don’t you think we’re done with this conversation.” He stood up and walked towards the personnel exit.

Marco looked at him, until his attention was averted by the members of another aircrew arriving. He casually glanced over them and almost choked on his coffee when his eyes rested on a young, boyish face. Maybe no matter how long you stayed in this profession, you were bound to have more surprises.


	2. The One and Only

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your lovely comments, kudos and reading my story. Hope you like the next chapter and feel free to leave a comment. :)

“Come on, at least blink some time. Your eyes will fall out.” Thomas snapped his fingers in front of Marco. “I forget my suitcase here and by the time I return, you find the love of your life?” He shook his head disapprovingly.

“Shut up, I’ve told you I’m not in love with anyone!” Marco burst out, but his gaze wandered back to someone sitting a few meters away from him.

“Which one is that again? The one you are not in love with.” Thomas smiled as he tried to follow Marco’s look, but the older one shot down his eyes just in time.

“Fuck off, Thomas!” Marco sighed exhausted and leaned back on the couch.

“Whatever you say, captain!” Thomas chucked him. “But if you change your mind, make sure you let me know. I’ve got my resources in the human resources department.” He winked at him and left with a laugh.

Marco’s eyes returned immediately to the same person whom he had been watching for the past minute. The subject of his interest was a young man, although he barely looked older than a boy. His brown hair was styled according to Lufthansa’s regulations, but Marco didn’t mind it at all. His hairstyle only emphasized his greenish eyes that opened to a bottomless well that drew Marco deeper and deeper up to the point where he almost forgot to breathe so he thought it was wiser to wander on. Now the two red blushes on his cheeks caught his attention. He found them adorable especially when they were accompanied by a grin. When the brunette smiled, it wasn’t just with his lips, but his whole face brightened up and joined the expression of delight.

His body might have looked vulnerable and frail at the first glance but Marco realized soon the muscles revealing themselves from behind his uniform. He knew those clothes all too well, since he had seen them gazillion times in the past years. It was the uniform of flight attendants, although Marco had to admit he rarely saw those on men. But this one particular sight was compensation enough: the white shirt fitted the other one perfectly and the dark blue vest just emphasized his chest that Marco was already so eager to explore more closely.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” He mumbled as he realized where his thoughts had led him. And he wasn’t happier when he felt the trembling sensation in his crotch.

He sighed and got up, careful not to reveal his boner to the members of the other flight crew. His efforts were needless, since they seemed all too preoccupied with listening to their pilot’s story. Marco glanced at the young flight attendant and saw him smiling (and what a cute smile it was), but it was obvious that there was no real delight behind that gesture. He hadn’t looked at him for longer than a few seconds and yet his presence caught him captivated completely and he bumped into a wall.

He quickly looked around to check if anyone had seen his little accident but there was no-one around looking at him amused. He quickly turned around and entered the men’s restroom. He walked to one of the sinks and turned on the tap. He placed his hands under the cold water and then he rubbed them on his face.

“What are you doing?” He asked his reflection in the mirror, which looked at him with eyes full of lust.

This wasn’t the first time he lost his composure over a nice – let’s be honest beautiful – guy, but his reaction had never been so intense. Maybe he was just too horny that he could be turned on so easily. After all, he couldn’t recall the last time he had been outside and tried his luck with other guys. He gave up very easily after a few embarrassing efforts.

“Is everything okay?” He heard a worried voice from behind. As he looked in the mirror, his eyes met those greenish puppy eyes he had surrendered to.

“Yes, just a bit tired.” He stammered in a weak voice, a blush already forming on his cheeks.

“Okay.” The other one smiled. “Um– May I?” He waved with his hands.

“Oh.” Marco hadn’t realized that he was standing in the way. He made a step to the right in the moment the brunette stepped to the left which resulted in the exact same situation. The flight attendant chuckled and Marco moved once again, and the brunette did too.

“Let me.” He finally said and placed a hand on Marco’s arms, turning him just so he could pass him easily. The blonde’s skin burned under the touch.

Marco’s eyes followed him as he walked into a WC stall. _Don’t stare_ , he reminded himself. He stepped to the sink and turned off the water. He didn’t bother to dry his hands he just left the restroom, trying to get away from the awkward situation as soon as possible. This little scene was a perfect representation of the cause of his love life’s problem. Sometimes he thought it unbelievable how he managed to screw up on every occasion he met someone who raised his blood pressure. In bars he would drop his drinks, spill them on the other one or the table, trip over while dancing, and one time he elbowed his date in the ribs, ending the evening and their relationship at once.

Marco rushed back for his suitcase and left the lounge with hasty strides. A long corridor led to the employee’s parking lot. One wall of the gallery was made of glass and overlooked the runways. Marco stopped in front of it and watched the planes taking off and landing. He had always loved it. When he was a kid, they lived close to the airport and he would stay up late just to see the lights of the jets flying over their house. It was then that he decided he would be a pilot. He was a very curious boy and he wanted to see the world. These two things formed the perfect mixture for a pilot. A mixture that had burnt out since then.

“Had a smooth flight?” A deep voice startled him. It belonged to the captain of the other group. His name was Mats, if Marco remembered correctly.

“Yes, almost textbook-like.” The other one nodded. “What about yours?”

“I can’t complain. A bit of a storm over the Channel, but nothing serious.” He shrugged.

“Hey, I saw you had a pretty young crew.” Marco said driven by a sudden thought.

“Most of them are rookies. But they are doing well. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing. It just seemed a bit unusual.” Marco backed out quickly.

“Whatever, I have just one more flight with them. After that, new schedule for the new month.” Mats laughed and walked past the blonde.

His remark left Marco struck. He had never looked forward to the appointments with particular anticipation, but suddenly he saw a great opportunity in it. The only problem was he had no idea what name he was supposed to look for.


	3. Dazed and Confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and your lovely comments, they are always welcome. :)

Marco paced up and down in his room. His bed was covered with clothes he unpacked from his suitcase and in this context it meant throwing them on the huge king-sized bed. It was all needless that he had a bed for two, since he couldn’t remember the last time it was actually used by two people. Maybe there wasn’t. And when you considered how much space it took from the not too big room, you might have questioned the owner’s sanity. All else that fit in the chamber was a nightstand with a lamp (also pointless, Marco wasn’t the reading type) and a huge cupboard that when opened, left practically no space in the crowded room.

But the biggest problem with the bedroom was the lack of natural light. It faced the neighboring house’s wall, which was so close that it barely let in any sunshine during the day and blocked all access to the Moon’s light in the evening. Marco could have easily moved to a better neighborhood, his parents encouraged him to do so numerous times, but it never mattered to him. As long as he cared, it was completely useless to have a house with a better view when he never enjoyed that view anyways.

He spent most of his days on duty, in some far corner of the world, sleeping in an airport hotel for crew members. Sometimes the airline would reserve him a room in a better equipped establishment but he never cared where he slept if he could relax there. And his needs could be met easily. When he got home for a few days, he was too exhausted to be bothered by the details of his estate. One night he’d spend most certainly at his parents’ and sometimes he visited his sister just to get some time together with his nephew whom he adored.

But this afternoon his mind wasn’t planning his stay on home soil. His thoughts were somewhere totally far, in Frankfurt Airport’s crew lounge. He relived the moment with that special someone over and over again, even when there wasn’t actually a moment. He cursed his shyness and disastrous behavior as he played with his phone in his hands, one idea reappearing in his brain from time to time.

He knew it was a bad one. He knew he should have forgotten it long ago, possibly before it even occurred to him. But he couldn’t help it and the longer he chewed on the possibility the more he became fond of giving it a try. He saw it as a chance for redemption. To get payback for all his bad fortune over the years with guys. And if he failed, at least he wouldn’t have a thing to be ashamed of.

He unlocked the screen and entered his phonebook looking for Thomas’s number but stopped while scrolling and locked his phone again. He was on the verge of backing out. But what proof did he have that the brunette was interested in men? Nothing apart from his instinct. _His instinct that had never failed him earlier_ , he reminded himself. He knew a gay when he saw one, but this time he was much more cautious. He wasn’t ready to make a bigger idiot out of himself than what he already did.

And there was only one man that could help him. He grabbed his coat, put his phone in its pocket and rushed out of his house. It turned out he wouldn’t need his coat, the night was warm enough. He walked the pavement with hasty strides. In ten minutes he got to a bar. It wasn’t particularly a gay bar, but it certainly was a place that was favored in ‘those circles’, as he had once explained to Thomas.

He walked into the bar with hope that the man he was looking for was in and working. His doubts vanished the moment he entered. He saw a chubby boy behind the counter washing the glasses. A huge smiled appeared on his face as he walked over to the bar.

“Can I have a drink please?” He asked as he sat down on one of the high bar chairs.

“Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

The barman grinned back at him already preparing a cocktail. Marco was sure it would be his favorite. It was intriguing how the other one knew his taste and also his personality, considering they didn’t even know each other’s name. But maybe that was the reason why Marco could open up so well to the brunette. Once or twice he considered asking him out on a date, but he had so few friends and he didn’t want to risk losing one thanks to his incapability of getting through a date.

“Love trouble.” He answered dryly.

“Oh, in that case we must act.” Came a witty remark and the barman poured another shot to the shaker.

“So I met this guy. You should see him; he’s a marvel.” He almost drifted off with his thoughts; only a gentle throat clearing brought him back to reality. “Oh, sorry. So the point is, I have no idea who he is or what his name is. All I’m sure of is that I want to meet him so badly again.”

“Where did you meet him?”

“At work.”

“Well, in that case you could meet him again very easily, couldn’t you?” The other one shrugged, putting ice in Marco’s glass.

“Well, it’s not that simple. You know, I work kind of like in shifts and hardly meet anyone from other groups.”

“I see. Can’t you change your schedule?” He nodded as he poured Marco’s drink.

“I guess I could. But to do that I need to find out his name as soon as possible. And there might be a way to do that–”

“Then what is the problem?”

“I’m afraid that he’s not gay at all. What if I do all this fuss because of nothing?” Marco shot down his eyes, slightly blushing in embarrassment.

“You are not serious, right?” He put the glass in front of Marco. The blonde reached for his wallet, but he waved him away. “It’s on the house. As long as you get that name and do your best at getting him.”

“Thanks.” Marco smiled as he took a sip. The alcohol burnt his throat but he liked it.

“So what does this semi-god of yours look like?”

“Well, brown hair, a bit darker than yours.” Marco started in a luscious voice. “Beautiful hazel eyes with adorable puppy look. And two red blushes on his cheeks. Put this on the perfect body out there and you get a good estimation.”

“Um. Like the guy over there?” He pointed at a table behind Marco. The blonde turned around and almost swallowed the rest of his drink in a single gulp.


	4. Doubts and Disappointments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that updating took so long, I had a lot of things to do this week. I hope it's an okay chapter, and that you won't hate me after you read it. I wanted to try out some things so I'd be really happy if you could share your opinion about this chapter. :)

Marco raced on the street, getting out of the passersby’s way, completely ignorant of the heavy rain that had started to pour while he was in the bar. The raindrops cooled down his skin that otherwise would have heated up to an unbearable point. When he had seen the ‘man of his life’ as he had started to call him in his head, he had lost control over his body. His legs had started to tremble, his heart had bumped so hard that he had been afraid it would explode and his face had turned into a color that was redder than red.

The barman had found his reaction very amusing and had burst out laughing, drawing all attention in their direction. Including _his_ , Marco had noticed with a miss of heartbeat as he had turned around, hiding his face behind his glass and hands. He had wanted to just go there and chat with him but the outcome had been obvious: he had shied away, even if it meant he had to pay for his drink after all.

But he didn’t mind. As he stepped into one puddle after another, he decided this time would be different. He would go armed into this battle. And the man who could give him his first gun was just a phone call away.

“Hey, Thomas!” He greeted his friend as he managed to get out of the way of a waterfall caused by a car rushing by.

“Marco, is that you? What are you doing outside in this ungodly weather?”

“That’s– not important right now.” Marco stammered. _Come on, you can do this!_ “Hey, listen I’ve been thinking. I might accept your help. There was–”

“A flight attendant on Mats’s crew who must be Mr. Perfect to you.” Thomas finished the sentence for him and ultimately made Marco’s jaw drop. “I’m not blind, you know? He’s name is Erik. Erik Durm.” Marco ignored how much it sounded like an introduction from a James Bond movie.

“Um, thanks.” He mumbled under his breath, feeling embarrassed.

“Sure thing. Anytime.” Marco could see Thomas’s grin. “But I hope you know that I will chivy you about this for the rest of your life?”

“Of course you will.” Marco snapped as he hung up his phone.

He wasn’t actually angry. He couldn’t be, not when he had just learnt the most important information he could imagine. Instead he kept repeating the sweetest name in the world to himself. He tried to taste it, get the feel of it on his lips and tongue. Erik Durm. The melodic, friendly Erik that lead to the powerful beat of Durm. And it belonged to someone who might have been interested in him, the barman had been eager to reassure him about that.

His thoughts must have shown on his face because the few passersby he saw looked at him disapprovingly. But he couldn’t care less; his mind was completely concentrated on that one person. His lips engaged in a crazy smile, the corners of his mouth sliding higher and higher.

By the time he got home he was completely soaked. He quickly got rid of his clothes, rushed to his bathroom and stepped into his shower stall. He started hot water and the air filled with steam quickly. He reached for his shower sponge and rubbed his skin with it. His hands automatically moved lower on his body and Erik reentered his mind. He wasn’t surprised what kind of thoughts emerged from this mixture.

But he withheld himself and finished showering. He wrapped a towel around his waist and paced over to his computer, slumping down into his chair. His computer hadn’t started slower earlier, at least that’s how he thought. He played impatiently with the mouse and when the system finally was loaded, he opened his web browser in record time.

He logged in to Lufthansa’s information system where a new notification awaited him. He hastily clicked on it and saw his schedule for the next month. He wasn’t interested in the flights he had to do as much as in the crew that would go with him. He scoped the list.

He could look forward to another month together with Thomas on duty and the cabin crew’s chief was going to be Anne again. He wasn’t that grateful for her, he had been fed up with her enough times in the past few weeks. She just couldn’t respect the bounds of her and his job.

He ran over the list of flight attendants once. And then again. Over and over again as his mood slowly broke down and his smile faded. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“This can’t be!” He yelled, hitting the keyboard. Erik’s name wasn’t on the list of assigned flight attendants.

“Okay, calm down, Marco.” He sighed, placing his palm on his forehead. “I need to think rationally.” And soon enough, a plan formed in his head. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

“Lufthansa Human Resources, how can I help you?” A kind female voice greeted him.

“Hello, it’s Marco Reus here. One of your pilots. I just checked the list of my scheduled flights for next month and I wonder if it is possible to make some adjustments?” He had no idea what he was doing. Until now he had taken every flight plan without further ado.

“I’m afraid it’s a bit late for that. We usually take our pilots’ requests before we generate the schedule. What particular flight do you have a problem with?”

Marco opened his mouth to answer but he realized he didn’t have anything to say. He couldn’t say that he didn’t care where he flew as long as Erik would be there, after all. And suddenly it all came down to him. _What am I doing?_ He was acting like a teenager crazy in love. This Erik guy was definitely trouble, Marco noted with a shake of his head.

“Mr. Reus?” The operator asked in a weak voice.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’ll leave it this way then. Thanks for your help.” Marco said and hung up immediately.

He dropped his phone on the couch and buried his face in his hands. He wanted to meet Erik properly and talk to him so much, but he shouldn’t let it make a fool of him. If they wouldn’t be in the same crew, so be it. They would get some time together later on. One was sure: Marco would not give up this time.


	5. Getting on with Normal Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a bit longer than I planned, but here I am again. Thanks for your patience, kudos, comments and everything. You are the best readers I could ask for! :)

“What is wrong with you?” Thomas pushed him as they were getting ready for their last flight in that month.

Marco glanced at him and then returned to the procedure before taking off. He was reading the weather report along their route. It seemed they would have a rough flight as there was a storm over the Atlantic. Fortunately they had no revisions so they didn’t have to go through a lot of changes that had been made since their last flight.

Unfortunately though, nothing changed in Marco’s love life either and that was the cause for his sorrow. He had returned to the bar the next day, but there was no sign of Erik. Not that it would have mattered, as the barman had pointed it out. He loved to remind Marco that he wouldn’t have moved for Erik even if the younger one had asked for it specifically. And Marco had to admit that the barman was right. He was angry with himself whenever he thought about his lack of balls in such occasions, and he certainly didn’t want Thomas to keep reminding it to him. But the other one didn’t seem to notice it as he returned to the topic once they got through the security check.

“You are having a heartbreak, aren’t you?” He winked at him, grinning from ear to ear.

Marco chose to ignore him. They proceeded to the gate where the cabin crew was waiting for them already. After one month of serving together they looked familiar and smiled at Marco and Thomas as they stopped next to them. What could be done, they were a popular duo among stewardesses.

But still, there was an unknown face looking at Marco. It must have been the new chief purser, substituting Anne. Marco almost forgot about her unusual absence. Her eagerness to work was close to Marco’s; actually they were mocked in Lufthansa’s circles for their commitment. Marco couldn’t recall another time when she missed another flight for any reasons. She was never sick, for God’s sake! They talked a lot about it with Thomas and the co-pilot solved this puzzle with a simple explanation: ‘If you were a virus, would you attack Anne?’ Marco smiled at the memory before he spoke up to the crew.

“Alright, this will be our last job this month. Thank you for your wonderful work in the past weeks, I expect the same professionalism this time too.” He sent a look in Thomas’s way there. “Now, the forecast doesn’t spare us from some worries, so expect some turbulence midway.” The young stewardesses hung on his every word, something that Thomas had grown used to.

After Marco finished, they made their way to the cockpit and put down their kitbags. No matter how hard companies tried to digitalize all the necessary manuals and instructions, they were far from a paperless cockpit, Marco knew that much. While Thomas checked and then double-checked all the safety devices and aids, Marco programmed their plan into the plane’s computer.

“So what did you do about Erik?” Thomas broke the silence between them. Marco closed his eyes and took a deep breath to stop himself from punching his co-pilot.

“You won’t drop this topic, will you?” He sighed.

“No.” Thomas grinned. “But really, tell me. I’m interested. I always tell you about my private life, it’s time for you to do the same.”

“Well, you shouldn’t forget that I never ask for any information.” Marco noted sourly. “But to answer you: I did absolutely nothing. Satisfied?” He angrily hit the reset button on the computer’s panel after he realized he had made a mistake.

“Not at all. I utilize my resources and all this for you to ignore him?”

“I’m not ignoring him!” Marco snapped, a bit harsher than it was called for. “There’s completely no relationship between us, so I can’t ignore him.”

“We will change that next month.” Thomas nodded. “I read the schedule and I’m sure it’s the reason for your grumpiness. Haven’t you tried to change it?”

“I did, but it’s late for that.”

“Oh, so you _tried_!” Thomas burst out. “That’s so priceless!”

“Thomas, we have a long flight before us and I need a co-pilot. But you’re crossing a line where I’m seriously considering kicking you out of the plane.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up.” Thomas recoiled but still added with a mischievous smile. “Mr. Heart Trouble.” Marco blushed in embarrassment and quietly started to look for anything he could throw at the other one.

Through the cockpit’s door he heard that the passengers were already boarding. They hurried up and finished with every task fifteen minutes before the scheduled take-off. They sat in their seats, staring out the window or checking the indicators from sheer boredom.

“But seriously, how hard did you fall for him?” Thomas broke the silence again.

“Thomas!” Marco snapped, looking at him furiously.

“I’m sorry.” Thomas said. He looked around and Marco knew it wasn’t the end of their conversation. “I’d say pretty badly. Based on your reaction.”

“Do I trouble you with your love life? No. Then be so kind and do the same.”

“It’s easy for you. First, I _have_ a love life to start with and second, it doesn’t trouble me. You on the other hand, need a bit of encouragement and pushing.”

Marco was about to argue with him, when a knock on the door interrupted them. He stood up to answer it. It was one of the stewardesses. She held two small cups of coffee on a tray and had the huge grin on her face that Marco always found creepy.

“A little refreshment to our two handsome pilots.”

“Thanks, darling.” Marco smiled back at her. Why was it that he didn’t have any problems flirting with girls but sucked with boys? He took one of the cups and swallowed its content in a single gulp. Thomas walked to them and drank the drink with slow sips.

“If you need anything, just call me. I’ll be happy to fulfill all your desires.” Maybe she was addressing both of them, but she kept staring at Marco the whole time and her eyes wandered to his crotch to make sure he got the ambiguous message.

“Are you sure you love men?” Thomas chuckled once she closed the door.

“I hope she put some damn hard drugs into that coffee that will kick you out until landing.” Marco retorted and slumped down in his seat.

Thomas was about to say something, but the radio was faster than him and Marco had never been more grateful for it: “Flight LH 400, proceed to take-off.”


	6. Troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your kudos and your wonderful comments. It makes me want to update faster so here I am with a new chapter. Be gentle with me and don't hate me for it.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Despised by many pilots and even more passengers. It could pose a routine landing on a quiet day. On such days, it invited the planes to one of its many runways as they flew over Lake Michigan. Pilots usually didn’t like airports directly in the middle of a city, neighboring busy highways and neat suburbs. And as Marco started descending, he could relate to their opinion.

The weather report had been right: they flew into a horrible thunderstorm over the Atlantic. But somehow, the forecast had left out a tiny detail and that was that the storm would accompany them as far as their final destination. It was a horrible scenery. The wind tossed them around the way it wanted to, like the two hundred tons giant was a ragdoll. Well, compared to the powers of nature, it was. Huge raindrops hit the cockpit’s windows and they knocked on it so hard that Marco was afraid they would shatter it into a million pieces. He knew it was an irrational fear, but as he struggled to keep the plane on its planned course because of another gust of wind, he couldn’t bring himself to being rational.

He glanced over to Thomas for reassurance, but the younger one was wiping the sweat from his wrinkled forehead, mumbling a prayer. _‘That’s it for the support’_ , Marco thought sourly as he checked the indicators. Considering their circumstances, they were doing fine.

“We’re going to put her down, Thomas. Just like we always do.” He said determined, trying to reassure himself at least as much as his co-pilot. He heard the chief purser’s voice instructing the passengers to fasten their seatbelts. _‘They’d be fools if they didn’t obey’_ , Marco snorted.

“Control tower, this is flight LH 400. I’m requesting landing clearance.”

“LH 400, this is ORD control tower. Hold on, we have trouble bringing down all our planes. Stop your descent and wait for further instructions.”

“Tell this to my fuel indicator.” Marco snapped angrily. He would never understand how on earth controllers didn’t saw the problem with their over-carefulness. They wouldn’t let planes land because of the weather to the point where so many of them were circling the skies that something was doomed to happen.

“Wait for further instructions!” The controller repeated the order in a manner equal to Marco’s.

The blonde cried out as he barely managed to keep control over the plane, once again. He gained some altitude and started a circle above Chicago. They got clearance after five minutes. Marco informed the chief purser who then announced the news to the passengers. Thomas looked at him questioningly as the plane started to shake uncontrollably at a lower height. Marco glanced back at him and nodded.

They could see the runways’ lights distorted by the raindrops on their windscreen. Marco knew this kind of a storm all too well and he was hopeful. He knew the plane would be harder to fly as they got lower and lower but there would be a point below which the wind would calm down. Otherwise they would be in big trouble.

It turned out that he had been right and he had never been more grateful for it. The gears screeched as they touched the wet asphalt. Marco was extra careful and started to break immediately. He didn’t want to risk sliding out of the runway. Once he taxied to their assigned exit, he let out a sigh of relief. He exchanged a thankful look with Thomas as they drove the jet to the terminal. Once they parked at the gate, Marco turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign along with other devices and indicators. They were down and safe.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean there are no rooms available?” Marco shouted furiously at the innocent looking woman sitting behind the hotel’s reception desk.

“I’m sorry, Mister Reus, but because of the storm many planes didn’t take off and we must accommodate their crew too.” She explained for the dozenth time, not running out of patience.

“Look at me!” Marco pointed at his eyes. “Do I look like I care? Because, in case you missed it, I _don’t_! Get me a fucking room that I won’t have to share with anyone!”

“Marco, stop that.” Thomas tried to calm him down. “It’s not her fault.” The receptionist awarded him with a grateful look.

It was easy for him. He was to share a room with Mats, even though Marco had no idea what the other pilot was doing in Chicago. It must have been an emergency landing of some kind. But who was left for Marco? A greenhorn pilot from some Eastern European country Marco wouldn’t be able to find on the map. It felt like a huge disdain targeted at one Lufthansa’s best pilots; something that he was sure to complain about once he got back to Germany.

“I’ll see what I can do.” She sighed, standing up and talking to another, a stricter-looking woman.

The hotel’s lobby was full of annoyed crew members, most of them waiting impatiently for the blonde pilot with a strong German accent to finally come to his senses. Everything looked like a madhouse: porters running up and down, hotel managers speaking into their phones and passengers cursing for their inconvenience. How could it happen at an airport of O’Hare’s size that there were not enough rooms for all crew members? This certainly couldn’t be the first storm that had forced more crews as usual to stay.

Marco’s problem was finally solved by a United Airlines’ crew who checked out. Thomas left a lot sooner, having enough of Marco’s whining over such a trivial issue. Nonetheless, Marco achieved his goal and walked to the elevators proudly with a key in his hands, not forgetting to remind the receptionist not to put anyone else in his room.

And what a room it was! An elegant suite with a spacy bathroom and a cozily furnished bedroom. Its only flaw, and probably the reason behind the two pilots’ rushed departure was the king-sized bed. _At least I will feel at home_ , Marco noted as he put his luggage next to the cupboard. He lay down on the bed, sprawling out and closing his eyes. He would have fallen asleep if it hadn’t been for the phone that started to ring in that moment. He reached for the receiver angrily and picked it up with no little speed.

“What?” He snapped. He wasn’t going to get an award for promoting German politeness around the world, but he really gave a damn right now.

“Mister Reus, this is the hotel manager talking. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but we really had no other options. We made a mistake accommodating another German cabin crew and we had to put one flight attendant in your room. It’s for one night only, I hope you understand it, we were left with no choice.”

She must have had greater experience with unsatisfied guests, since she put down the phone before Marco could say anything. And maybe it was better that way, because what he wanted to say would have certainly kicked him out of the hotel. Could this evening get any worse? He would get some missy to his room. He was sure she would appropriate the suite for herself and he would have to content himself with the little she would leave for him. And how were they supposed to sleep?

But as he sat up when someone opened the door and looked at the newcomer, all sense left him. His mouth went dry as he lost himself in the depths of those hazel eyes he had been dreaming of for so long. _His_ hazel eyes.


	7. How to Make a Complete Fool of Yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for your kudos and comments, they are still much appreciated. A special thanks goes to Blue Night who has been doing a wonderful job at betaing this story.  
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I wish you a merry Christmas! :)

All blood rushed to two regions of Marco’s body. Most of it gathered in his groin, sending his manhood erect in an instant, the remaining part filled his head, painting his cheek bright red and caused a drumming sensation in his ears. He was left speechless on the bed, as he checked out the body of the flight attendant. Nothing had changed on it, he was sure of that. He remembered every single detail about it all too perfectly.

“Um, hello. Marco, right?” Erik asked shyly, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

‘ _He knows my name_ ’, was all that Marco could think about. He was so busy to draw the consequences from it that he almost forgot to answer the younger one. ‘ _What should I tell him? I’m not supposed to know who he is.’_ He was full of doubts. Finally he opened his mouth but the caws that left it were not even similar to his usual tender and calm voice.

“Yes. And you are–?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Erik blushed. God, he was so adorable. “Erik Durm. Flight attendant.” He added and shot down his look as if he was ashamed of his profession. “Not usual for a guy. I guess that’s why they messed up my accommodation. But still, they could have gotten a hint from the name.” He rolled his eyes annoyed.

“What do you expect from them? They are Americans.” Marco blurted out to prevent himself from saying something even more stupid that would have gone like ‘But if they hadn’t messed up, you wouldn’t be with me.’ He was definitely losing his common sense.

“Yeah.” Erik nodded but he clearly didn’t agree with Marco or his manner and the pilot made a mental note so he would not forget to slap himself. “I see we have a double bed. I can sleep in the armchair if it’s a problem.”

“Oh, no.” Marco objected hastily. “I can sleep in the armchair too. You should take the bed.”

Erik looked at him astonished. Had a pilot offered him his bed? It just didn’t make sense. Nor did the pilot’s face that now had an almost purple color. Marco on the other hand just punched himself over and over again mentally and begged for the ground to open up below him and swallow him.

“I guess we could both sleep in the bed, then.” Erik slowly regained his control after his shock. The blonde only mumbled something in a high-pitched voice that Erik interpreted as a yes. He walked to the bed and put his sports bag on the cover. “Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?”

“Go on.” Marco managed to croak out after clearing his throat twice. He was feeling worse by every second that passed. Nature had played a very bad trick with him indeed, by making him long for a man’s love so much and then dispossess him of all chance to actually get it.

Erik seemed as if he didn’t mind his strange behavior, although Marco could see his not so favorable opinion in his eyes. The brunette got out of his bag a bottle of shower gel, a towel and slim-fit boxers that looked just one size smaller than they should have been, considering Erik’s athletic build. Marco gulped and hoped that the other one was planning to wear pajamas for the night. Otherwise the blonde would run out of the world.

Once Erik had vanished behind the bathroom door, Marco let out a sigh of relief. He had held back his breath for so long that his lungs were about to explode. For a moment he considered ringing up Thomas, but his common sense took control and Marco decided against. The co-pilot would definitely ruin everything with his spicy comments and ambiguous suggestions. But after all, there was not much left to ruin.

He quickly checked that his jeans hid his bulge enough because it really threatened with tearing through the textile and take a closer look at the man that had awakened his manhood. What he saw raised no hope in Marco. Even if his pants made their job, there was no way he could walk normally with a hard-on like that. He tried every trick he had ever read about, but nothing seemed to be able to move the blood to other parts of his body. And of course Erik returned as he was doing squats.

He sprang up immediately, tripping over his own legs. To his luck, he managed to stay on his feet but his acrobatic moves raised Erik’s eyebrows and he already had to question Marco’s sanity by now. Even the blonde was unsure that he had ever had it. His brain came up with a way to save that was left to save and he heard himself screech “Can I?”

“Yes, the bathroom is yours.” Erik nodded and Marco quickly got out all he needed from his luggage and hurried into the bathroom.

He wasted no time; he undressed and got into the shower stall, turned on cold water, hoping that it would bring him back to his senses. Obviously it didn’t help. He just couldn’t get the picture of Erik, his soft looking skin still damp, out of his head. But of course the younger one’s groin drew most of the attention, since his boxers were indeed too tight. And this time Marco couldn’t resist. His hand gripped his shaft and stroked off with quick and short jerks. His world blackened around him after only a minute and he uttered a deep moan that echoed between the bathroom’s walls as he brought himself over the edge. He could only hope that it remained there and didn’t find its way to the bedroom.

He quickly finished showering, styled his hair with great perfection, washed his teeth and put on his pajamas. He didn’t usually wear them, but it seemed inappropriate to show his body to Erik. Not that he had anything to be ashamed of; he tended to his health and his physical appearance a lot. He just didn’t want to reveal it to Erik yet, although he hoped that this would change in the future.

He took a deep breath before he opened the door and stepped into the bedroom. Erik was in his bed – _their_ bed, busy with his tablet. But what was really troubling Marco was that he hadn’t put on any clothes for the night. Marco rushed to the bed and lifted the covers, careful not to look at the other one who was apparently amused by something and the pilot could only hope that it wasn’t him. He slipped under the sheets and lay down in the bed.

“Good night!” He stammered. He turned on his side, with his back to Erik strictly, lying there tense and stiff as a poker, almost falling off the edge of bed. He had a long night ahead of him.


	8. Talking in Your Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with another chapter, consider it my Christmas treat for you. You deserve it after all the kind words and kudos. I promise this is the last time I made Marco suffer, we will move on in the next chapters. :)

The night turned out to be even longer than he had expected. When he fell asleep, the lamp on Erik’s side was still on and the flight attendant probably watched some comedy, because he chuckled from time to time. At least that was what Marco hoped for. But the option that the brunette was going over the mental images of Marco’s clumsiness was at least that probable. The pilot tried not to overthink the situation and lock out his worries but all he accomplished was that they started to attack in stronger and more aggressive waves. He had never been good at relaxing.

He didn’t know how, but finally, he managed to fall asleep. And of course, it hadn’t really been a question what he was going to dream about. _Who_ he was going to dream about. It seemed somehow pathetic that even in his dreams, he’d think about the same person, when that man lay at arm length. But it was certainly the case and it didn’t affect only his mind, but took control over his body as well.

He woke up three times. All three times his face was just centimeters away from Erik’s. His unconscious was mocking him. It pushed him closer to the brunette as if he was the strongest magnet of the universe, or the Sun of Marco’s world around which everything had to revolve. Actually, the latter wasn’t that far from the reality as one might think. Anyway, Marco’s conscious and more rational part of mind dictated him to pull away from the other man and get back to the edge of the bed which was the little place of his voluntary solitude. So every time he slipped to the middle of the bed in his sleep, he would lie just a bit further away from Erik when he woke up. And that was the last piece of his complete humiliation.

The third time he pulled away so much that he lost his balance and crashed to the floor with a bang. Erik sat up in the bed immediately, reaching for the switch of his lamp. He looked around confused, still half-asleep and we probably wouldn’t have noticed what was wrong if it wasn’t for Marco’s hurt groan. The flight attendant glanced at the pilot’s side of the bed and climbed there when he saw the blonde was missing.

“Is everything alright?” He looked down at Marco with a huge grin on his face. His hair had been so perfectly ruffled in his sleep. He reminded Marco of an underwear model with his perfect tousled look. It wasn't fair. How could this guy be so damn perfect and adorable after several hours of sleep? Marco never looked like this when he woke up with disheveled hair and sleep-swollen eyes.

He swallowed audibly and closed his eyes in his total embarrassment. Could this get any worse? He knew his possibilities so he was sure it could. He also knew his form and luck and he dreaded that it would. He sat up awkwardly, rubbing his butt where he had hit it hard.

“Yes, I just rolled out of the bed.” There was no way of putting it more nicely so it would sound less lame and awkward than it actually was.

“Yeah, I guessed so.” Erik nodded. He recoiled to his side and was now kneeling there, his playful expression matching perfectly his boyish face. “Look, if it is such a big problem for you to share one bed, you really should have told me so. I would have understood it.”

He got up and grabbed his pillow and duvet, ready to set up his sleeping place in the suite’s recliner. And then Marco saw something he shouldn’t have. As Erik stood up, it became apparent that his boxers had slipped down while he had been sleeping and now they revealed the start of his butt crack. It was a sight that Marco wanted and didn’t want to see at the same time. He wanted to gulp, the only problem was that there was nothing to swallow in his mouth. He was slowly but surely losing control over his body that started to be driven by inhuman lust and desire.

And Erik just strode to the recliner, his steps very comfortable and confident and god was he intentionally rocking his hips? It was so beautiful and mean at the same time. Marco was sitting there mesmerized by the sight and was ready to jump out of his skin. And then, Erik glanced back at him and caught his gaze. Marco shot down his eyes, blushing furiously in embarrassment, although he had gone out of his mind by now to actually realize his reaction.

And it wasn’t the end of Erik’s tease. Just as he set up the chair and lay down on it, he sat back up and looked at Marco with a smirk. “Although, maybe you don’t really mind my presence.”

And that was the last straw to Marco. He uttered a restrained moan and he quickly turned off the lights. He pulled the cover up to his face, hiding in complete humiliation. His face was burning and there was another part of his body that asked for immediate attentionstubbornly and determined not to vanish soon. His manhood was rock-hard again and Marco was afraid to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t taken matters literally into his own hands earlier.

He wasn’t able to fall asleep after that. He lay in the dark and heavy silence, listening to Erik’s even breaths. It felt somehow strange, as if the brunette was just pretending to sleep. But how could Marco know? It was the first time he heard him sleeping or whatever the other one was up to. Five minutes later he came to the conclusion that he definitely had lost his sanity. He heard Erik moan _his_ name. But it couldn’t be true! It had to be his imagination playing very dirty tricks with him. He sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for the redeeming lights of the morning.

 

* * *

 

“No way!” Thomas burst out after Marco told him about his unexpected roommate over a cheap breakfast. “You cannot be that lucky!”

“Lucky? You don’t know me then. I completely screwed up and now Erik is probably forming a letter to Lufthansa requesting my dismissal because of my mental derangement.”

“Was it that bad?” Thomas asked.

“Even worse. Gosh, I acted like a complete idiot.” Marco buried his head in his hands.

“I just hope you didn’t blurt out something stupid in your sleep.” Thomas noted casually, stirring his coffee.

“What are you talking about?” Marco opened his fingers before his eyes and shot a questioning look at his co-pilot.

“You mumble in your sleep. Quite often.”

“And why haven’t you told me about it earlier?” Marco snapped. “Gosh, if I said out loud what I said in my sleep–”

“Wait, you don’t want to tell me that you dreamt about him, right?” Thomas asked amused and when he saw Marco’s scared-to-death face, he burst out laughing. “That’s priceless!”

“Oh my God!” Marco shouted as realization dawned on him. He hadn’t imagined Erik moaning his name. It had been real. The flight attendant hadn’t been asleep at all; he had been mocking Marco. First, he didn't know whether to break down and cry or to laugh, but then, a smile formed on his lips. Maybe there still was some chance for him.


	9. A Ray of Hope

He was out of breath by the time he had reached their floor. Of course everyone had chosen to use the elevator when he needed it the most. He had had no time to waste so he had taken the stairs. He had to climb thirteen stories (quite ironic, wasn’t it) and he hadn’t had the slightest assurance that Erik was still in their room.

The flight attendant had gotten up earlier than Marco. He had taken a quick shower and applied hair gel to achieve the perfect hair arrangement. Not that he would have needed any changes to please Marco. He had packed his belonging in his bag and had left for breakfast half an hour earlier than the pilot. And when Marco had arrived at the hotel’s restaurant, there had been no sign of the flight attendant there.

Marco nearly knocked over two bewildered tourists before he got to their room. He inserted his keycard in the locking mechanism and the door opened with a sharp click. He tore it wide open and practically burst into the suite. There was only one reason behind his hurry: he feared that otherwise he would give his mind enough time to come up with doubts and find a purpose to back down.

But he was still too late. The bedroom was empty and Erik’s bag had vanished from the top of the bed. Marco silently cursed under his breath. If only Thomas had mentioned his mumbling in sleep– No, he wasn’t going to go that way. Even if he had missed this chance, there would be other opportunities for him. Or at least he hoped so.

He slumped down on the bed overborne by the feeling of helplessness. Was he ever going to find a guy? No, the problem wasn’t with finding a guy. He had found a good bunch of them. Getting together with them, that’s where the problems arose! He buried his face in his hands and a piece of paper slipped onto the floor from the bedcover. He looked at it puzzled and for a few seconds he even considered if he should read it or not. Finally, he bent over and reached for it. As he unfolded the paper, his heart started to beat faster. It had just calmed down after his unexpected physical exercise. If his love life was going to continue in this manner, he would have to visit a cardiologist very soon.

His heart’s condition was almost completely solved when he swept through the note. At first, he didn’t even recognize the words. He only saw the confident, curly handwriting, the scratchy letters, but most importantly, the signature. It was just one name, the sweetest one on earth: Erik. He needed to take a few deep breaths before he was ready to read the four lines.

 

_Thanks for the wonderful evening. :)_

_Had a great time, you kept me amused the entire night. :P_

_Why don’t we meet again? In the Snug maybe?_

_I’m flying back to Frankfurt today, after that I have three days off. Will wait for you. :*_

 

For some time, he just cared about the three smileys that told him so much. Just six characters, but still, they meant the world to Marco. At first, a simple smile. And Marco actually saw Erik’s smile. He imagined the young boy as his full lips curled upwards, showing his wonderful white teeth and painting dozens of small wrinkles on that pretty face. And then he saw this grin turn into a cheeky smirk. He could easily imagine Erik’s playful expression as he shot down his puppy eyes a bit just to look back up with innocence and apology in his hazel iris. But it was the last smiley that especially caught Marco’s attention. He had never wondered why an asterisk represented a kiss, but he didn’t even care as long as that kiss was addressed his way. And when the sender was Erik, that made things even sweeter.

He reread the message over and over again, until he knew it by heart. He didn’t mind Erik still mocking him; at least he still had his attention. Nothing else mattered. And not just that! The flight attendant wanted to meet him again. In the Snug. That’s how they called the bar in Frankfurt. It was the only place where gays could gather and be totally themselves. He didn’t specify an exact date and time and that could mean only one thing: Erik would sit there and wait for him every single day of his vacation. Marco felt suddenly overwhelmed. No-one would have done it for him earlier. But Erik wouldn’t have to wait for him for three days, either. Marco would drive there as soon as they had landed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's shorter and a filler, but we're almost there, don't worry! In the next chapter they will finally meet under better circumstances. :) What do you think? I'm curious to read your opinion.


	10. Let's Call it a Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with a bit longer and maybe more interesting chapter. Thank you for your patience, support, kudos, comments and everything. :) I'm curious what you think about this chapter.
> 
> Also, a very special thanks goes to Blue Night who has been doing a wonderful job at betaing my drafts. THANK YOU, my works wouldn't be as good without your help. :)

The taxi hadn’t been half as fast as Marco had wanted it to be. They had had a calm flight back home; Marco had hurried through all security checks, done all the paperwork and caught a cab. And now he was sitting in its back seat, his fingers drumming on the armrest. He was staring out of the window and cursed at the traffic light that decided to turn red right before them. The driver didn’t notice anything of his impatience. He sang to the song being played on the radio (slightly out of tune, Marco noted) and started a conversation with him.

“Are you a pilot?”

“Yes.” Marco said dryly. He didn’t want to engage in a talk. The driver could get absentminded and that would have a bad effect on his reaction time, at least from Marco’s point of view. Every second counted when it was about meeting Erik.

“I wanted to be a pilot, too. But you know how it goes.” No, Marco had no idea how people stopped dreaming about being a pilot. “But my nephew dreams of being one. You should see him, he’s an adorable tad.” Marco’s only answer was a long silence. He was in no mood to hear about lovely children and shattered dreams.

“Okay, I see you are not up to a conversation.” The cabman smiled at him in the rear-view mirror. “Do you mind if I turn up the volume a bit, then?” He asked and Marco shook his head. The music got louder and the driver’s singing more horrible. Marco sighed; now he had one reason more to wish he was in the Snug already.

Finally he made it there without cutting open his or the driver’s veins. He quickly paid for the ride, careful to leave as little tip as possible. He didn’t wait for the cabman to get out of the car and get his suitcase out of the trunk, he did it himself. It still seemed like hours for the driver to finally drive away, waving at Marco. Only then he turned around and walked to the bar’s entrance. He took a deep breath and entered, pulling his luggage behind him.

The place was almost completely empty. This was no wonder; it was still early in the evening or rather late in the afternoon. But Marco couldn’t have cared less about the number of guests as long as that one particular person was waiting for him. No matter how hard he tried to find him though, Erik was nowhere to be seen. Marco sighed. What if he hadn’t come? What if all this had been just a prank? What if Erik had been playing with him all the time? The thought hadn’t occurred to him earlier, because the brunette was an idol in his eyes, someone who couldn’t do anything mean or rude. And now he faced the question with all its brutality. What if he had misjudged the younger one? What if all of this was about nothing more than making a much bigger fool of him?

Insecurity found its place in his mind easily and suddenly a dozen doubts emerged in his thoughts. He was about to go home, deprived of all hope when he heard a familiar voice from behind.

“You are here early, Marco. Have you come here straight from the airport?”

He turned around animatedly and looked at Erik, standing just a few centimeters away from him. He had casual clothes on, a tight white T-shirt that showed his wonderful abs and blue jeans worn under his waist, just revealing enough space for Erik’s boxers’ waistband to check in. That is, if it had wanted too, because between the T-shirt and the pants, Marco was staring at the brunette’s soft tanned skin and it certainly boosted his imagination.

“Why were you in such a hurry?” Erik tried once more to get an answer from Marco and the blonde shook his head to bring himself back to his senses.

“Because I’ve acted like a creep and I wanted to make it up to you.”

“That’s too bad.” Erik sighed, with a playful smile forming on his lips. “I love creeps.” How could he be such an expert on flirting? “Shall we sit down?”

He pointed at a table where an almost empty glass was waiting its owner. Marco nodded and they walked to that box, sitting down opposite each other. Soon a waiter showed up and took their orders. Marco hadn’t planned to drink anything containing alcohol, but Erik chose a damn hard cocktail and he couldn’t stand behind. Besides, he could use some extra courage.

“So, how was your flight home?” Erik started in a friendly tone. It calmed Marco down a bit. _We are not flirting, just talking about work stuff._

“Pretty good. Some turbulence above the ocean, but nothing noteworthy. What about you? What were you doing in Chicago? Mats wasn’t supposed to fly there this month.”

“Oh, I see you checked our schedule. I guess it was out of pure curiosity and had nothing to do with me, right?” Erik shot a teasing glance at him. Marco looked down, hoping that he could hide his blush, although he knew it was hopeless. It all felt like a wild vortex that drew him deeper and deeper and there was no way of stopping it. “We had some technical troubles on the plane. Our heading indicator was confused now and then, so Mats decided to land. We came home with another plane.”

Marco couldn’t hide his surprise about Erik’s explanation. Most of the cabin crew members didn’t know a bit about the instruments pilots needed to fly a plane. He was also stunned by how Erik put the problem as if it had been just a minor failure. Actually, it was indeed. But not many people would have agreed with it once they were told what a heading indicator was. And flying without knowing your heading with respect to magnetic north might have seemed a serious issue. But there were a lot of other systems that gave you the same information, that’s why Marco couldn’t understand the reason behind Mats’s decision. The blonde was always up to some adventures. But after all, if those other systems had broken down as well, one would have been left in the air practically blind.

“Are you still with me?” Erik waved in front of Marco’s eyes to get his attention. The pilot looked back at him. He hadn’t realized it, but their drinks had arrived in the meantime. He reached out for his glass and took a gulp of the cocktail.

“Well, I was going to say a toast, but it’s okay this way, too.” Erik shrugged and copied Marco.

“Tell me one thing.” The pilot found his tongue again. “How did you know that– I was gay?”

“Oh that!” Erik chuckled. “From Mario.”

“Mario?” Marco asked back. He couldn’t remember anyone he knew with this name.

“The barman.” Erik explained, obviously ignorant of the fact that he had just ruined a big mystery in Marco’s life. But the blonde couldn’t be mad at him. How could he be angry at a man with such an adorable and irresistible smile?

“And how come you haven’t given up on me? I mean, you couldn’t have found my idiotic behavior attractive?”

“Why not? Anyone who shows this reaction when he sees me deserves a second chance. But really, what happened? You lost it completely.”

“It wasn’t because of you.” Marco answered. He was surprised by his own confidence. It must have to do something with the drink. Or maybe the way Erik looked at him? His eyes were full of understanding and thirst for more information.

“Oh, so I shouldn’t bother than?” Erik snapped with faked resentment.

“Well, if you didn’t, you would miss a lot.” Marco retorted with a mischievous smile. What was going on with him? Previously he couldn’t have come up with such a witty comment. “But I always lose it when I’m alone with a guy. That’s my weakness.”

“I see.” Erik nodded, still grinning. “It’s cute.”

Marco chuckled and leaned back in his seat. Maybe they were getting somewhere after all.


	11. A Rule You Shouldn't Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am, once again. :) Thanks for your kudos, comments and support. I'm so happy that so many of you like my work. Hope you like the update as well and please let me know what you think about it.

“Wow, wow, careful with that!” Erik warned Marco as the pilot emptied his third glass. “I’m not ready to hear your life story, yet.”

“What?” Marco asked confused.

“Nothing.” Erik smiled under his breath. “It was just a joke you didn’t get.” Marco shot down his eyes as if he was embarrassed for not understanding Erik’s remark. “So tell me more about you. Do you always fall out of bed when you are with a guy?” He carried on the conversation they had had for nearly half an hour now. But after his question the blonde wished he hadn’t.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why? Is that confidential information? You would have to kill me after you told me?” Erik laughed.

“No, it’s not that.” Marco said hesitantly. “It’s that I don’t usually get that far. I usually screw things up before we could get there. Like humiliating myself to the point where they say that they don’t want to be with a loser like me.”

“I don’t think you’re a loser.” Erik patted his shoulder and Marco could feel the blush forming on his cheeks. “You’re just not that good with relationships.” He leant over the table and purred into the blonde’s ears: “But we will change that.”

Marco could feel his heart drop what seemed like a few meters before it jumped back and now it was beating in his throat. Had Erik really said that? Or had he already drunk more than he had been supposed to? He couldn’t tell, but he hoped for the former. And as he looked at the brunette sheepishly, his self-satisfied smile suggested that it had happened indeed. He reached for his glass before he remembered that he had already drunk its content and the flight attendant offered him his own cocktail.

“Go on, I won’t drink it anyway.” Erik nodded reassuringly and Marco took a sip of the liquor. The alcohol burnt his throat and he felt a bit dizzy, so he decided that he had had enough.

He leaned back and looked at Erik. He still couldn’t quite believe that the other one had been willing to talk to him for more than thirty minutes. And he couldn’t believe that he had managed to maintain a conversation for that long without making a fool of himself (although he might change that opinion once he sobered up).

“Can I ask you something, Erik?” He spoke up after he had gathered all his courage. So far, Erik had been the leader in their conversation. He hadn’t touched a sore spot and hadn’t asked about anything too personal. They had talked about general things, the quality of the cocktails they had been drinking and their job.

“You already did.” Erik answered but seeing Marco’s clueless look, he sighed while the pilot made a mental note to at least chuckle the next time the brunette made a witty comment. “Never mind.”

“Okay. So, why did you decide to write that message to me? You certainly didn’t fall in love with me at first sight.”

“Certainly not.” Erik laughed. “And let’s be clear on that, I’ve never fallen in love with you at second sight, either.” He winked at him and stuck his tongue out, resembling an emoticon. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Something intrigued me about you. I needed to find out. And get to know the person behind the pilot’s mask.”

“And do you like what you’ve found out so far?” It was Marco, who uttered these words, but it felt like it was someone else using his organs to ask this question.

 “Yes.” Erik nodded, but he added. “Apart from the latent alcoholism part.” He pointed at the empty glasses lined up in front of Marco and the blonde burst out laughing.

“I’m not that much of a drinker. Besides, I only drank as much as you.” He defended himself. “Can we meet again?”

“Are you already going?” Erik lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, I’m tired and slightly drunk. I want to finish our date on a high.” He couldn’t help but notice the twinkle in the brunette’s eyes when he said the word ‘date’. “I hope I’m not late for that.”

“No, you’re certainly not.” Erik chuckled. “I’ll walk you home.”

“No, you don’t have to.” Marco objected hastily, not realizing that the other one was trying to spend more time with him.

“Don’t worry, it’s not a burden. I have time.”

“It’s quite the contrary. I live only a few blocks away.”

“All the better.” Erik nodded. He stood up, dropped a banknote on the table and grabbed Marco’s luggage with one hand and its owner with the other. He pulled him out of the bar, the fresh air and sunlight bringing Marco back to his senses a little bit. “You lead the way, captain!”

And Marco listened to him. He started off towards his home with confident steps, ignorant of Erik’s hand still holding his arm. They talked about the weather (lame as it was) and giggled at the few passers-by. Marco felt the alcohol working in him, and he had to blame his blood for transporting the evil molecules everywhere in his body. He tried to keep their conversation simple; he didn’t want to risk blurting out anything stupid in his tipsiness. They reached his house in six minutes, what had to be a personal best. Erik was tugging after him, taken aback by the pilot’s tempo.

“Here we are.” He pointed at his home proudly. It was far from perfect, but he liked it.

“It’s… nice.” Erik nodded, panting for air.

“Thanks. And thank you for walking me home.”

“Sure thing. You’re welcome.”

“Well, I had a lovely time. Thanks for meeting me.” Marco shrugged, not sure how he should end their conversation.

He finally held out his hand. Erik looked at it questioningly at first but then he took it and shook it. He had such a firm handshake. But then the brunette leant forward and pressed his lips on Marco’s cheek, giving him a peck on both sides. The pilot blushed and his heart started to beat faster than ever before. He quickly reached for the handle of his suitcase, and rushed inside his home.

Once the door closed behind him he hit his head against the wall numerous times. Only then he realized that he had forgotten about a rule he had heard about in a romantic comedy that wasn’t funny or romantic at all. _If you take him to your home, be sure to invite him in._ It had been said by a female character, but Marco guessed it stood for him as well. He quickly turned around, tore the entrance open, but Erik was nowhere to be seen.


	12. A Helping Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your lovely comments and kudos, I wish you all a happy new year! :)

For minutes Marco could only curse at three things. First, at his bad luck. Second, at himself for drinking too much. And third, at himself for being such an idiot. Okay, the last two things were practically the same, but he felt that he deserved double hatred. He paced up and down in his living room, sitting down only to get up again and continue where he stopped. How could he be so rude to Erik? And how was he going to make things up to him? If he had stood a chance at the younger one before, now he had definitely lost it. If only he could get in touch with him some way!

But there wasn’t. He didn’t know his phone number. He didn’t know where he lived. And he couldn’t expect that Erik would wait for him in the Snug again. The Snug! That was it! There had to be someone there who knew something about the flight attendant! And suddenly, a name popped up in Marco’s mind. A name very similar to his own…

He immediately sprung up (the idea hit him in one of his sitting phases) and rushed outside. The streets were full of people, enjoying the warm early summer evening. Marco didn’t care about them; he slalomed through the smaller crowd, only one goal in his mind: to get to the bar, and ideally to Erik as soon as possible.

If they had broken Marco’s record on the way home, now he definitely topped that. He exploded into the Snug, almost toppling two costumers on their way out over. He quickly apologized and was by the counter in three leaps. He impatiently drummed on the hard surface with his fingers until the barwoman finally paid him attention. She was a young and attractive girl, in her early-20s, Marco gathered.

“Hi, is Mario in?”

“No, he just finished…”

“But he reassures you that Lisa can make as good cocktails as me.” Said man interrupted their conversation from behind Marco.

The pilot spun around. Mario was standing a meter behind him, dressed in casual clothes, a rucksack on his right shoulder.

“Yes, but I’m not here for another cocktail. I’ve had enough of them for today.” Marco admitted. “I need some information.”

“Walk me to my car; I’ll see what I can do.” Mario sighed and started off, Marco closely following him. “So how can I help you?”

“Where does Erik live?”

“Erik who?” The barman asked with a feigned clueless face.

“Oh, don’t pretend that you don’t know anything!” Marco snapped. He was out of time and patience.

“Okay, sorry. I’ve just lost track of who knows whose name.” He winked at Marco, but the blonde wished he would stop with his demeanor and just tell him. But instead, Mario walked on to a parking lot and stopped by an old and ugly Volkswagen. “Hop in, I’ll take you there.”

Marco was in no mood to travel by an old-timer that didn’t look as if it could take them further than a few meters. But he had no choice; he waited for Mario to open the door and sat in the passenger seat.

“Welcome on board, ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts.” Mario smiled at him and Marco wondered whether the barman’s choice of words was intentional mockery or just a pure incident. “So what went wrong with your Mr. Adonis?”

Marco mused for a few minutes whether there was some moment of his earlier date he could consider successful, but he gave up and went with “everything”.

“You must be exaggerating things.” Mario shook his head. “There’s no way you managed to screw up everything. You weren’t away for that long, after all!”

“And that’s the point. I wasn’t sure how far I should take things on our first date, so in the end I sent Erik away.”

“No way!” The barman looked at him with dropped jaw, almost driving to the opposing lane and avoided a collision with only centimeters. “Marco, if that’s true, you do have some serious trouble with relationships.”

“You could have guessed it by now.” The blonde shrugged. “But anyway, how do you know my name in the first place?”

“I have my methods.” Mario giggled and shot down his eyes as if he was ashamed of the fact that he spied on Marco. Well, if that was the case, he should have. “You are a very popular man in the Snug, so I had to. Guests were ready to pay large sums of money to find out your name.”

“Is that so?” Marco looked at him shocked. He had had no idea that he was the subject of such interest.

“Yes. Not that I misused my knowledge. I’m more of the getting people together type of guy. That’s why I wanted you to talk to Erik that afternoon.”

“Did…” Marco’s voice broke and he had to gulp. “Did Erik ask about me, too?”

“Yes, we can say that. He’s really intrigued by your personality. Not that I blame him. If I wasn’t your barman and your love advisor…”

“Okay, I get it.” Marco stopped him before he could finish the sentence. Fighting for one man was more than enough for him.

“Here we are.” Mario announced as he stopped the car in front of an apartment house.

“Thanks. I appreciate your help.” Marco unbuckled his seat belt, ready to get out of the car.

“Wait, you have no idea which apartment it is, right?” Mario smiled at him as he stepped out.

Marco waited for him to get out his rucksack and lock the doors. Who on earth still had a car that didn’t have central locking? Erik lived in a modern building, with lots of trees and plants around it. It all suited his personality so perfectly. The street was quiet, only a few children played further down the road. Mario finally caught up to him and led him to the entrance. Luckily, it was open and they entered the stairwell. They walked to the elevator.

“So what are you going to say to him?” Mario inquired while they waited for the lift to arrive, but Marco wished he hadn’t. He had no idea what he should say.

“Apologize, I guess.” He shrugged.

“That will be good for starters.” Mario nodded.

They stepped inside the metal cube and Mario pressed the button next to number three. The doors closed and they started to rise, along with Marco’s heart that made its way as far as the pilot’s throat.

“You know you don’t have to escort me all the way.” Marco didn’t need any witnesses.

“Oh, I have to.” Mario smiled and there was something strange about his amusement.

The elevator signaled that they were on the right floor with a jingle and they stepped outside. Mario turned left. He didn’t knock on the door just entered the apartment and that was when realization started to dawn on Marco. To prove him right, Mario cried out.

“Erik, I’m home! And you have a visitor.”


	13. Blinded by the Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are still with me, I hope you like this chapter. There's a little reward for your patience. Thank you for your ongoing support, your kudos and comments. Be sure to share your thoughts. :)

Marco stood in the stairwell as if someone had poured a bucket of icy water on his head. Despite all his hopes, Erik had only played with him. And he hadn’t been alone in it. Mario must have cooperated with him all the time. He saw no reason why the two youngsters would be entertained by embarrassing him. He just didn’t get the joke. And the two of them weren’t laughing either, and it struck him strange. By now their faces should have been red from uncontrollable guffaw. But they just looked back at him with a questioning look.

“Aren’t you coming in?” Erik asked finally. He wore comfortable loose clothes and his hair was ruffled. Not that it had ruined his looks.

“You live together?” Marco burped every word in a shaky voice with long pauses.

“Yes.” Erik nodded, still smiling at Marco. The pilot didn’t understand it at all. Hadn’t they finished his complete humiliation? Was there another step he didn’t see coming?

“Wait!” Mario understood where Marco’s thoughts were. “We don’t live _together_ together. We are just friends and roommates.”

Marco would have to scrape together his heart from the floor, because that’s where it had dropped from relief. And as if the sun had read his mind, too, it shone through a cloud and lighted up the stairwell.

“Come on in!” Mario urged him and Marco obeyed.

The two brunettes lived in a spacy apartment. The entrance opened to a huge hall with a full-length floor mirror that must have flattered their look-obsessed personalities. Erik led him to a bright living room. A coffee table, a gray couch with two armchairs, an enormous TV with the complimentary home theater system and a bookshelf full of DVDs were the only furniture in the room. It all had the impression of a typical bachelor apartment. One in which Marco would have liked to live.

Mario didn’t accompany them; he had gone to take a quick shower and the curiosity in his eyes had been proof enough that it would be a quick shower indeed. Erik offered Marco a seat and the pilot sat down on the couch. Armchairs usually were someone’s spots, and he didn’t want to tamper with the apartment’s harmony.

“Can I get you something? Soda, OJ, coffee, or something stronger maybe?” The flight attendant winked at Marco.

“No, thanks. I’m alright. I want to talk to you.” He mustered all his courage while Erik sat down in the armchair further from the TV and closer to Marco.

“About what?”

“About how stupid I am. I’m so sorry that I sent you away. I freaked out and had no idea what I was supposed to do. We had had a nice chat in the bar, until I got slightly drunk and I feared that if I had invited you in I would have screwed up everything. What I did nonetheless. But I really suck at relationships. You should bear that in mind.”

“Okay.” Erik nodded with all simplicity in the world.

“Okay? That’s all you have to say?” Marco asked, not realizing that his voice was a bit snappier than he had intended. But the other one’s answer had surprised him.

“Yes. Apology accepted. What else should I say?” Erik looked at him with a cheeky grin, but before Marco could answer him, Mario rushed into the room.

“Wait for me!” He most probably hadn’t dried himself up, as his clothes were sticking to his wet and – Marco noted – worked out body and water was still dripping from his hair.

“Wait for you with what?” Erik snapped at him.

“With getting together. So far I have been an active part in your relationship as much as you, so I think it would be only befitting if I was here when you finally started seeing each other. So go on!” Mario smiled, as he sat down satisfied in the other armchair, his legs crossed on the coffee table.

“We are _not_ getting together.” Marco calmed him down.

“Aren’t we?” Now suddenly Erik looked at him questioningly.

“I mean– do you want to?” Marco asked him shyly. “After what I’ve done?”

Erik turned to Mario instead of answering the blonde’s question and that unsettled Marco. “Don’t you want to leave now?”

“No.” Mario laughed. “This is so much fun!”

“Would it be as much fun without your two front teeth?” There was no threat in Erik’s voice but the barman got the message. He raised his arms in a defensive gesture and walked out of the room. Erik sprung up and closed the door behind him to be sure that the other one was out of ear shot.

“Listen, Marco. I don’t know what you’re thinking but what I feel for you… I have had it for some time. It didn’t start in Chicago and it didn’t start in the airport’s men’s room. The day you probably saw me for the first time.” Erik added, seeing the pilot’s puzzled look. “I had seen you earlier in the Snug and I had liked the way you looked. But I had no idea what were you like in the inside. Actually, that’s why I followed you to that WC. It was all too awkward and I was afraid that it was because of me– you know, that _we_ wouldn’t work together. But then, Mario told me that you were ‘fascinated’ by me, as he put it. So there was still hope for me, until that night in the hotel. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but I saw one thing for sure: you wanted me; and I thought to myself: there must be something more to this dork than that! That’s why I wanted to meet you again.”

“Wow.” Marco sighed. “I wouldn’t have thought that you were– interested in me this much.”

“Look, I’m not saying that I’m totally in love with you or that we would be the most perfect couple in the world. All I’m saying is that I’d like to give us a chance. What about you? Do you want that, too?”

There was something painfully intimidating about the straightforward question he had put and about those eyes that now looked at Marco _demanding_ an answer. A very specific answer. Just a simple word. Three letters that would push him off a cliff into the dark pit of Erik’s love.

“Yes.” Marco said dryly. His lips moved of their own accord. “I fell for you completely. There’s no way out for me anymore.”

A tender smile formed on his face and on Erik’s too. And then suddenly, Marco was able to read his eyes. He saw how relieved the brunette was. Erik got up to sit next to him. Marco’s instincts told him to draw away, but the other one’s eyes mesmerized him. He waited for that perfectly round ass to touch the couch’s cushion, he watched as the tempting body slumped down, first his abdomen, then his chest and broad shoulders passing his eyes to give way to that innocent boyish face that now was red with lust. He shivered as Erik’s strong arms snaked around his trembling body that felt so weak in the other one’s grip all of a sudden. He gave up all resistance as he felt pulled to the other one. And then it happened.

They had kissed before in Marco’s imagination at least a thousand times. But the blonde had known from experience that nothing could give back the sensation he would feel when their lips finally touched. The sensation he was feeling now. The small electric shock that ran through his body, down his spine as Erik’s tongue parted his trembling lips, gliding past Marco’s teeth, into the warm and welcoming cavern of his mouth. This was real and too short to be enough. The brunette circled around and then drew back as if he had just left an assurance there that he would come back for.

Marco closed his eyes and tried to take as much of Erik as he could with his other senses. He inhaled the scent of his hair. His skin relished the way the other man’s soft stubble brushed against it. And before he knew it, the contact was gone, broken by the young brunette now smiling at him in pure satisfaction. And even though the sun had hidden behind another cloud and the room got dim, Marco’s personal sun shone so bright just a few centimeters from him that he was almost blinded by its light.


	14. A Fulfilled and a Shattered Dream

They weren’t left alone for a long time. Before Marco could even catch his breath, Mario walked into the room. Marco would never forget the annoyed look on Erik’s face.

“I see you have no idea about privacy and etiquette.”

“What? Erik, I’ve told you many times not to use difficult words in front of me!” Mario snapped back.

“How can you stand him?” Marco asked because suddenly teasing the barman seemed like a pleasant pastime; the first thing they did together with Erik. Mario didn’t seem to be so amused, but he had deserved it. If he had been playing with Marco, pulling the strings from the background, he had no right to complain.

“Just to let you know, Mr. _Pilot_ , we’ve known each other for years. Ever since we were this small.” Mario explained, holding his hand not too lower than his actual height.

“We’ve met in a barman class.” Erik was much nicer to Marco.

“But you’ve never seen each other, I mean, you haven’t dated, right?” The blonde asked.

“Oh, Marco, you are already jealous! That’s so cute.” Mario drawled. “But you should work on that. You have to learn to trust Erik; otherwise your relationship won’t last long.”

“No, I never dated him.” Erik gave Marco a noteworthy answer again. “And I can’t imagine anyone who would do that. That needs a crazy mind.”

“Ha, I will pretend that I haven’t even heard that.” Mario pouted and held his head ridiculously high as he stormed out of the room.

“I’m sorry.” Erik shot down his eyes. “He’s not usually like this. But right now he must be very satisfied with himself. You can’t imagine how much he pushed me into talking to you.”

“I should thank him, then.” Marco gently caressed the brunette’s cheeks.

“But he won’t leave us alone now.”

“Then why don’t we go over to my place? This time I’ll make sure to invite you in.”

“I won’t turn down that offer!” Erik laughed and they stood up from the couch.

To Marco’s surprise, the flight attendant grabbed his hand and led him to his own room. It was not much smaller than Marco’s. There were a few cupboards there along with a bookshelf (with books this time), a single bed (to the blonde’s disappointment) and a desk with a comfortable chair and a gamer computer. A few posters of planes and photos of Erik’s family hung on the wall, but Marco didn’t look at them. They had just started to date; it still felt like spying on Erik’s private life.

Unfortunately the only place where he could look was Erik’s half-naked body. The brunette was buried in a cupboard, looking for some clothes he could wear and as he leaned forward, his trousers emphasized his perfect ass. Marco let out a soft, muffled moan and Erik looked at him satisfied.

“I see you enjoy the view.”

“Sorry for that.” Marco blushed and looked embarrassed.

“Don’t be. I never refuse a compliment.”

Erik quickly put on some clothes he seemed to choose randomly. _God, did everything suit him this much_ , Marco wondered. He waited while the brunette put on his shoes and checked himself for a last time in the mirror before announcing to Mario that they were headed out. Marco called the elevator once they left the apartment but Erik looked at him questioningly.

“We’re taking the stairs.” He said and grabbed Marco’s hand once again. “They keep the part of my body you seem to adore in shape.” He explained and the blonde burst out laughing.

They spent the walk down in silence; mostly because on an old lady who was watering the plants and didn’t seem to approve of their clatter.

“So where is your car parking?” Erik looked around after they stepped outside.

“Oh, Mario took me here. I don’t have a car. I don’t even have a license.” Marco admitted, looking at his feet as if he was ashamed of himself for not fulfilling the brunette’s expectations.

“I see.” Erik nodded. “We will walk then. But isn’t it strange that you can fly jets and can’t drive a car?”

“I didn’t say I can’t drive a car. They run on petrol and not driver licenses.”

“Oh, you’re a bad boy then!” Erik laughed and it was so sweet that Marco didn’t have the guts to tell him that he had never actually driven a car ever since his failed test. “What else do you do that’s illegal? I should know what to expect in case I have to bail you out.”

“You would do that?” Marco stopped, struck in awe.

“I can’t turn my back on my boyfriend, right?” He said before he stole a kiss from the blonde. The word boyfriend sounded so perfectly, but maybe it was only because he was talking about him, Marco mused.

“Did you really attend a barman class?” Marco asked quickly, before he could immerse in his thoughts helplessly.

“Yes. I finished it. Actually I worked in the Snug for some time. But flying has always been my love, so I became a steward. It pays better and I enjoy it more.”

“Yes, but being a flight attendant usually isn’t the dream of young boys. Especially not ones who have photos of airplanes on their wall and know much about how these planes work.” Marco pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“No.” Erik sighed. “I wanted to be a pilot, but it didn’t work out.”

“What happened?”

“I didn’t pass the medical test. My eyes aren’t healthy enough.” The blonde couldn’t imagine that those beautiful hazel eyes would fail anyone; even if now they were full of pain.

“I’m sorry.” Marco said and he meant it.

“It’s okay. Not all my dreams can come true.” Erik smiled. “But at least I have a handsome and caring boyfriend who showed me more sympathy after a few minutes than anyone else in my entire life.” His voice was full of sorrow, but Marco didn’t want to talk about it. They would have a lot of time to share their stories. For now, he only wanted to enjoy the still warm evening and possibly watch the sunset together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the license part, I simply had to add it! :) Please share your thoughts and opinion, your feedback is always welcome.


	15. In Your Love's Arms

They were in no hurry to get to Marco’s place and they almost missed the blonde’s anticipated sunset. His house stood in a not so classy neighborhood and the houses next door were maybe too close but there was something Marco would never trade his home for. The backyard faced west and there was a slight drop right at the end of his lot, so there was nothing in his way to watch the sun slowly vanish below the horizon. A beautiful sight that now he could share with someone.

“Come on, I want to show you something.” He grabbed Erik’s wrist and pulled him through the rooms, so the brunette had no time to look around. It wasn’t important for now.

“What is this sudden rush for?”

“You’ll see.” Marco opened the back door and led him to the terrace.

His backyard didn’t look perfectly. He hadn’t watered the lawn for a long time and the sunshine left its mark on it and the grass could also use some mowing, but he didn’t let the small details distract him.

“Sit down.” He pointed at the wooden lounge chair and turned around when Erik did so.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll just get myself a chair.” He smiled back at him. He hadn’t expected that he would have visitors, so he didn’t trouble to buy more than one of anything. He made a mental note to make up for this deficiency as soon as possible, before the brunette now lying on the chair wouldn’t notice anything of it.

“Leave it!” Erik waved off his concerns. “There’s enough place for both of us. It’s so peaceful here, we should enjoy it.”

He reached for Marco and the blonde stepped back, taking his hand and letting to be guided in his own house. Erik didn’t move to make any place for him; instead he pulled him down so Marco was lying on him. This way neither of them could actually see the view, but they didn’t care. They stared into each other’s eyes and that was the most beautiful sight they could imagine. At least Marco knew that it was true about him, and the smile tugging at the corner of Erik’s mouth suggested that the brunette agreed with him.

Erik wrapped his arm around Marco’s waist and drew him closer and the blonde didn’t show resistance. His lips moved automatically towards Erik’s and he felt the same electric shock he had felt the first time they had kissed. Only an hour earlier. And now they were lying on each other, breathing in the other one’s scent. It was so perfect, as if they had been doing this their entire lives.

Marco lowered his head and rested it against Erik’s strong shoulders. He had never imagined that such a soothing place could exist. He was wrapped by the brunette’s scent from all sides and his skin picked up Erik’s heartbeats. He relaxed into the touch and closed his eyes. He forgot about the dread that he hadn’t even known was there: the fear of staying alone for the rest of his life, growing old alone to be a grumpy old man and then die in an empty house. It was stupid but Marco had always been prone to such thoughts. And now he could get rid of them, because there was no way he would let go of Erik.

 

He hadn’t realized that he dozed off until Erik’s fingers gently rubbed against his face. The evening had grown chilly and he immediately shivered from the cold. But it soon vanished when he stared to those eyes that he thought could melt the ice and were full of life and had a playful sparkle.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Erik grinned. His teases could never hurt Marco; everything he said sounded nice. “I’m sorry I woke you up, but my arm went numb under your body.” Marco looked at him apologetically and slowly started to get up, but Erik hadn’t finished. “Plus, there is something between your legs that keeps poking me.”

Marco jumped up as if he had seen a ghost and the brunette burst out laughing. It was the most beautiful melody the blonde had ever heard. He quickly started looking for something else that he could look at, but he didn’t find anything. In the meantime, Erik had stood up too and he was now only a few centimeters away from him.

“Not that I minded the latter.” He mumbled and that brought a smile to Marco’s face.

“Why don’t we go inside? It’s cold out here.” He whispered and grabbed Erik’s hand, not waiting for an answer.

They went to his living room that had a more reserved set of furniture than Erik’s and Mario’s. It was actually Marco’s parents’; he had brought it over when they had renovated their home. He turned on the lamp, although it wasn’t completely dark in the room, and they sat down on the couch.

“Should I turn on the TV?” He asked, but Erik shook his head. “Then I could bring you a drink maybe?”

“Marco, just shut up! I’m alright; I want to spend some time with you and talk.” Erik took matters into his own hands.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Marco hesitated, because the brunette didn’t look like he would say more. “When are you flying again?”

“You sure know how to start a conversation!” Erik laughed and Marco blushed for the dozenth time that day. He needed to get some self-help book, that much was sure. “The day after tomorrow I’m having a flight to Munich and then back. After that– three days off again. The schedule has been generous to me.”

“But not to us.” Marco pouted. “I’m flying to New York in three days.”

“I see.” Erik hummed. “But at least we have tomorrow only for us. It’s better than nothing.” He winked at the blonde. “And this evening is still young, too, so why don’t you tell me more about you, Marco Reus?”


	16. An Uninvited Guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to my wonderful beta Blue Night. You taught me a lot and you help me to get better with every review. I'll always be grateful for your help and support.  
> Sorry for the late update and the somewhat shorter chapter. This is a filler and I will start a new episode in their story with the next chapter. Just as always, your feedback is much appreciated! :)

That single day they had together passed faster than Marco could have imagined. They spent the night talking about his life. It was ponderous at first, since the pilot wasn’t used to opening up in front of others. Thomas knew almost everything about him and that was it. But Erik’s presence, his warm smile and curious eyes made him speak. And those eyes weren’t nosy at all. Erik hadn’t been interested in Marco’s story so he would have something to tease him with later; he sincerely thirsted for more information about him. They were a couple, after all!

When Marco finally stopped (although Erik showed no sign of boredom or tiredness), it was already the middle of the night. The blonde tried to persuade the younger one to stay, but Erik was adamant. So Marco kissed him goodbye and only some minutes after Erik had left he realized that they hadn’t exchanged phone numbers.

A wave of despair washed over him but he calmed down easily. First, they knew where the other one lived, so there would be no problem meeting each other. And secondly, there had been nothing in Erik’s kisses that would have suggested that he had no intention of talking to him again. He took a shower and lay down in the huge bed that suddenly didn’t seem a bad bargain. Although he needed to speed up their relationship if he wanted to make use of the space it offered.

He couldn’t recall the last time he had slept so perfectly. His sleep was undisturbed until he was woken up by his doorbell pretty early in the morning. He normally didn’t like uninvited visitors especially if they arrived before he had gotten up. But the proceedings of the past days had made him relaxed and there was no way he would get angry at such a trifle.

He put on a gray T-shirt as he stumbled to his door. He had no idea who the mysterious stranger could be. His best guess was his mother who didn’t take it well if he didn’t visit them during his days-off. But how could he have thought about his parents, when all of a sudden he had someone else to care about?

As he opened the door he literally sprung back. That particular someone was standing in his doorway, holding a bag of fresh croissants and beaming at him.

“What does this shock mean?” He asked laughing. “Were you expecting someone else?”

“No, I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Marco admitted as he stepped aside so Erik could make his way into the house, giving him a peck on his way. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I can leave if you want me to.” Erik smiled and turned around, now heading for the door.

“Don’t!” Marco shouted and this time he blocked the brunette’s passage.

But Erik didn’t stop and he walked straight into Marco, throwing him against the now closed door, pinning him there.

“I came for this.” Erik whispered into Marco’s ear before licking it and then continuing his journey down the pilot’s cheek to his lips.

“And this.” His tongue opened Marco’s mouth and pushed its way through his teeth, touching the tip of the blonde’s tongue and then Erik broke the contact.

“And also this.” He gave a peck to Marco’s chin and kissed his way down his neck. “And what about–“

“Why don’t we have breakfast first?” Marco asked when he sensed Erik’s fingers tugging at his boxers. He was about to freak out and he didn’t want the brunette to see it.

“Okay.” Erik burst out laughing. “But I’m not finished with you yet.”

They sat down to eat and Marco managed to persuade the brunette to talk about himself. He had told almost everything he had thought interesting enough the previous night, and Erik had played the role of the good listener mostly. Marco was curious to learn more about his boyfriend, whose face turned bitter before he started, to the blonde’s surprise.

“You know, my father was a pilot, too. He had a small single engine plane and he would take me with him when I was little. One day he flew off and he never returned. There was a serious malfunction and he crashed into a forest. But he made me fall in love with flying. When I told my mother that I wanted to be a pilot, she freaked out. I guess she was even glad when I didn’t pass the medical tests.”

“Oh, Erik, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Marco apologized. Why did he push him to talk about himself? He should have realized that Erik hadn’t wanted to do it in the first place. But, like usually, he had been oblivious to all the signs and now he felt unscrupulous.

“It’s okay.” Erik faked a smile. “So I was left deprived of my dreams and that’s the reason I went to a barman course. I needed to do something with my life. I didn’t really like it, but I could cope with it. But the air never stopped drawing me. I wasn’t apt to be a pilot, so I had to content myself with being a steward. It’s not what I wanted, but at least I get to fly for my living.”

“It’s sad.” Marco noted.

“Don’t be like that!” Erik laughed. “I’m satisfied with my life. And with you, it should only get better and better.” He reached for Marco’s hand and grabbed it.

They spent the day together, and Marco didn’t force Erik to talk about himself anymore. He decided that he would let the brunette open up in his own pace, just like Erik respected his uncertainty in a relationship. He knew that there was more to this young man than meets the eye and that gave Erik a vibe of mystery. The brunette had become a puzzle and he was determined to explore him completely and solve the puzzle, because Erik was truly worth the effort.


	17. Surprises

Erik flew to Munich early the next day and Marco used his free time to visit his parents. He decided not to tell them about him and Erik for the time being, just in case the relationship would come to an abrupt end. It was an old precaution that wasn’t easy to get rid of. The brunette paid a visit to him in the evening. It was rather just checking in, letting him know that he was fine. Marco wanted him to stay, but he had an intercontinental flight in front of him, and he needed all the rest he could get, so he had to ask Erik to leave, despite all parts of his body protesting against it heavily.

Thomas picked him up early in the morning, and started to inquire about his love life already before they drove off. Marco turned down every question, gently at first, but more angrily as time went by. His co-pilot respected his withdrawnness, and by his look, he blamed it on his friend’s inability to start an actual relationship. All the better, Marco thought as they stopped in the crew’s parking lot.

Marco sighed before he went through the entrance. Another boring procedure was waiting for him. He loved flying; he only wished that it would involve less paperwork. He reread the revisions before they proceeded to the gate to greet their cabin crew. The first flight in a month was always preceded by some small talk. They usually worked together until the end of the month, so it was useful to get to know each other.

But this time, Marco spotted that there was something wrong the second he turned into the corridor leading to the gate. There were too few of stewardesses there, even though he didn’t know how much there should have been at all. It was just a routine he had acquired.

“At least you turned up!” Anne snapped instead of greeting them.

“Good morning to you, too.” Thomas smiled. “Care to tell us what’s wrong?”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong! One of _my_ stewardesses is not here, because apparently, her daughter is ill and there’s no-one else around to take care of her!”

“Well, that doesn’t sound too outrageous.” Marco noted while he shook hands with their second officer. He had never seen the guy – Julian Draxler, he had introduced himself –, and he didn’t look like he could fly a plane, but Marco had been wrong earlier.

“I raised up three kids and never missed a flight!” Anne argued. “The biggest problem is that the substitute stewardess hasn’t come and we can’t fly to New York with a crew member less!”

“The substitute _steward_.” Came an all too familiar voice from behind Marco’s back, and the pilot spun around in record time, beaming like an idiot. “And I’m here.” Erik said simply.

“Wash that stupid grin off your face.” Thomas mumbled, leaning over to Marco.

“That’s great!” Anne cried out sarcastically. “Now our passengers are supposed to be served by a man!”

“Why don’t you carry on with your job?” Marco burst out, having enough of her whining. Thomas shot him a suspicious glance.

“Okay, _mister_ , you will be serving the flight crew and help these ladies with fulfilling the passengers’ wishes. Unless it is a real emergency, I don’t want you to show up in the cabins. And now let’s go; we are behind our schedule!” She ordered and everyone followed her.

Marco waited until Erik passed him and looked at the brunette encouragingly. He wanted to wrap him in his arms and comfort him, but he had a job to do himself and it couldn’t have waited. They made their way to the cockpit and they started to check the machine’s instruments, aided by Julian.

“You should go and talk to him. I can take care of the controlling.” Thomas suggested, in a moment when the youngster was outside, checking other indicators.

“You know what? I will.” Marco smiled and turned around.

“Wait a second!” Thomas shouted as realization dawned on him, but couldn’t stop the pilot. “You’ve talked to him already! You are together! And you haven’t said anything! You son of a–”

But Marco didn’t wait to hear the rest. He was headed to the galley; he was expecting Erik to be there. And he wasn’t mistaken: the brunette was opening boxes of various foods, but looked up when he saw the pilot.

“What are you doing here?” He asked bewildered.

“Making sure that you are alright.” He grabbed Erik’s hand. “Don’t take what Anne said personally. She’s like this with everyone.”

As if someone had called her, the purser stepped into the small compartment. “Chatting, are we? Mr. Reus, I ask you to leave my crew members alone and let them do their job. I’m sure you have your duties, too.”

“I won’t leave until you don’t apologize to him. Your behavior was unacceptable.” Marco stated firmly, not sure where he had found the courage.

“I don’t think it’s any of your business.” Anne retorted. Erik was glancing first at one then the other, not sure what he was supposed to do about the uncomfortable situation.

“If anyone at this company is treated badly, it is. Especially if he or she is working on my plane!” Marco wouldn’t let go of the matter.

“You want to report it?” She snapped. “Fine. But then, I guess I should report _that_ , too.” She pointed at their fingers that were still entangled.

Erik drew his hand back as if a bolt had struck him and shot down his look in embarrassment and Marco could also feel the strength leaving his body.

“Good.” She acknowledged with satisfaction that she had won the debate. “Now Erik, I would be very glad if you could tend to your duties.”

The brunette nodded faintly and Anne left. Marco turned to his boyfriend, trying to comfort him. But what could he do? He had come here with good intentions and now Erik was in a much bigger trouble, because of him.

“Erik, I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her, she won’t report us. There’s nothing to report, after all!” He stammered, but he wasn’t sure of himself. He would have to check Lufthansa regulations concerning work relationships.

“It’s okay.” The brunette smiled faintly. “I know how she is.”

“Oh, so you have flown with her, already?”

“Well, not particularly.” Erik sighed, taking a pause. “She’s my aunt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel guilty for teasing you and making you wait for their first night together and their relationship to move forward. It's only a chapter away, I promise. Hope you still love the story, though. Make sure to let me know what you think of this chapter or any other. :)


	18. Up in the Air

Marco forgot to close his mouth for a few seconds. It sounded too unbelievable. How could it be, that someone so nice and gentle like Erik was a nephew of someone like Anne? It just didn’t make sense. And why hadn’t Erik told him, above all? He should have spared them this awkward moment. When he finally found his voice again, he gave voice to his bewilderment.

“What do you mean she is your aunt?” He stammered.

“She’s the sister of my mother.” Erik shrugged.

“Why haven’t you told me that earlier?”

“I’m sure you haven’t told me everything about you, either.”

“Well, if I had a relative working at Lufthansa, I would have!” He accused Erik.

“Marco, look, I’ve got a ton of work to do, and I’m sure it’s the same with you, too.” The brunette snapped, rather annoyed and Marco looked at him taken aback.

He wanted to open his mouth, but at that moment a stewardess entered and started to rant at Erik. Marco was sure that she was sent by Anne and was only following orders, but he decided that it was wiser to retreat for the time being. But Erik shouldn’t have thought that he had got over his accusations. He returned to the cockpit completely broken down.

“What’s up, ‘man-eater’?” Thomas smiled at him jokingly, but noticed his distress immediately. “What’s wrong? Oh god, don’t tell me you’ve broken up!”

“Thomas, please drop it!” Marco waved away his inquiries, while slumping down in his seat. Julian watched the scene bewildered. It seemed that Marco had to make some explanations to do to him, too. _Thank you very much, Thomas_ , he snorted. “Is everything fine here?” He asked.

“Yes, captain!” Julian answered soldierly.

“Good.” Marco nodded. “And leave the formalities to your instructors, Julian.”

“Yes, sir.” Julian said without thinking. When he finally realized what he had said, he looked like he thought it was wiser to keep silent.

Marco informed Anne that they were ready for take-off and they heard the passengers boarding the plane. Marco leaned back and then started to check everything once more. Not because he didn’t trust his colleagues, but to look busy and avoid nosy questions from either of the other two pilots. He barely heard the knock on the door that Julian sprung to answer.

A young stewardess entered, carrying three cups of coffee. Thomas didn’t say anything, but shot a puzzled glance at Marco. Erik was supposed to serve them and the co-pilot had apparently already found an explanation for the change.

Only half an hour later they were up in the air, headed west. Marco turned on the autopilot. The boring part of the flight started. And this time it would seem even longer than other times. He wasn’t naïve; he knew that he could not leave Thomas’s questions unanswered all the way to New York. So he decided that it was for the best, if he gave him what he wanted right away.

“We’ve had a row.” He said dryly, covering his microphone with his hand. Not that the other recording system built in the cockpit wouldn’t record their conversation, but if nothing happened during the flight, no-one listened to it. At least, Marco hoped so.

“Oh. About what?”

“It seems that Anne is his aunt.” Marco explained.

Thomas reacted the same way as he had just an hour earlier. Julian noticed that they were having a rather private conversation, so he pretended to be focused on reading some papers, but Marco could see that he was still listening to them. Marco sighed. Why did he always get the most prying pilots?

“That’s shitty news.” Thomas gave a three word long summary of the situation. Marco snickered, because he couldn’t have put it better.

 

Two hours into their flight there was another knock on their door. It was once again Julian, who opened the door and let in– the same stewardess who brought their coffee. She took their orders, not showing them the smile she must have saved for the passengers. Marco hated it, anyways. Why would any passenger feel better because of a constrained grin?

Marco turned to Julian as soon as the door closed behind the stewardess. “Do you want to take my seat for some time?”

“Me?” Julian was so surprised that he even forgot about the proper addressing of his captain.

“Sure. There isn’t going to be any problem, and they wouldn’t have let you up in here if you couldn’t handle it anyways.” He stood up, giving way to the youngster who looked like a small child in a candy shop.

Thomas shot him a knowing and disapproving look, but Marco didn’t care about him. He stepped out of the cockpit and walked to the galley. There were more stewardesses entertaining Erik apparently, who definitely didn’t look shaken by their row. Probably that’s why he was so freaked out when he noticed Marco.

“Did you change your mind?” The stewardess from earlier looked at Marco.

“No.” He shook his head. “I just came to stretch my legs a bit and I didn’t want to be alone.” He sent a clear message to Erik and turned around, hoping that the brunette would follow him.

He really had no idea why the flight attendant had tried to avoid him. He hadn’t done anything after all! It was Erik who needed to explain his behavior and not him. Although, deep in his heart he had already forgotten about his offense and only wished that the younger one would talk to him. He only wanted to let him know that he didn’t care about the incident anymore, so he was relieved when he heard steps behind him.

“Yes, captain?” Erik asked when he stopped. Marco looked at him questioningly. It wasn’t exactly what he had expected.

“Erik, what’s going on?” Of course he had forgotten all his plans on being gentle and understanding to the brunette who now looked at him puzzled.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Of course, you don’t!” Marco snapped mockingly. “As if you weren’t snubbing me!”

“What?” Erik shouted. “I wasn’t snubbing you!”

“Oh, really? Then how come you didn’t bring our coffees? Or why didn’t you take our orders for lunch?” He was very satisfied with his case.

“Marco!” Erik chuckled. What was wrong with him? Hadn’t he realized how serious this was? Based on his softened face, he hadn’t. “You are overreacting, but it’s cute. Did you really think that I was angry at you for your outburst or that Anne caught us?”

“My _outburst_?” Marco couldn’t believe his ears. It was _he_ who had every right to be mad at the brunette, not the other way around.

“Yes, for questioning me over me not telling you about my whole family. It was quite stupid.”  
“Do you really think so?”

“Yes.” Erik nodded. Apparently, he didn’t notice Marco’s indignation. “But I get it, maybe I should have warned you after all. But I had no idea that I would be on this plane at all. So I ran out of time.”

“I see.” Marco sighed. Thinking of it, Erik was right, he had overreacted. “But why didn’t you come to the cockpit?”

“Oh, that! Anne has changed her mind. She reassigned the duties. I’m preparing the lunches and helping out in the tourist class, now.”

Marco blushed over his stupidity. How could he think that Erik would ever feel offended over such a minor issue? It must have been his uncertainty taking control over his emotions again. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled. “So does that mean that she’s– you know, against us?”

Erik burst out laughing. “I hardly think so! She’s not that close to me and I don’t think that she cares about whom I date. She has nothing against me being a gay, but she just can’t swallow me being a flight attendant. According to her, there shouldn’t be stewards, only stewardesses. So she’s just making my life hell. Maybe she hopes that I will quit because of some unpleasant experiences, or I don’t know.”

“And will you?” Marco smiled, wrapping his arms around Erik, drawing him closer.

“Well, this isn’t a bad thing.” Erik mumbled against his neck, but pulled away nonetheless. “But I should be going. We will have a great time in New York, I promise.” He winked at Marco and made his way back to the galley. The pilot had no idea how right the brunette was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please share your opinion. The next chapter will be longer and a bit explicit so it might take some time to update. :)


	19. I Think We've Waited Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me a lot longer than I had promised, but various things in my life intervened, hopefully this will be compensation enough. I also need to warn you that this is an explicit scene, so if you don't feel comfortable reading it, don't, you won't miss any major plot twists.  
> As usually, a huge thanks to Blue Night for reviewing and betaing my work, without you my fics wouldn't be half as good! :)

They landed in New York eight hours after take-off, but only two hours later according to the local time, so it was still early in the day. They would spend the whole next day in the city, but Marco knew there would be no time for sightseeing; most of the time they were trying to get some rest for the flight back. It was hard to get through the jetlag, even if he should have been used to it by now.

They were standing in the hotel’s reception area, not far from the JFK airport. It had always been Marco’s favorite. The woman behind the desk looked very nice and polite; nothing like the stressed employees back in Chicago only a few days earlier. She checked their passports and their reservations that the company had made for them.

“Okay, so Mr. Draxler and Durm, you are staying in room number 419, and that leaves Mr. Müller and Reus in 420.” She smiled at them, putting the keys down in front of them.

“Excuse me.” Thomas interrupted her. “I don’t want to cause any problems, but you have no idea how much this guy here snores.” He pointed at Marco, who looked back at him bewildered. “So if I could switch rooms with one of the gentlemen…”

“Sure thing. Then, you can stay with Mr. –”

“Draxler.” He finished the sentence for her. “I don’t want to put our greenhorn to two sleepless nights and I’m sure Erik wouldn’t mind it, right?”

“What? No, not at all!” Erik stammered hastily.

“Fantastic, then!” Thomas smiled, grabbing the key to room 419 and dragging Julian away from them.

“What was this about?” Marco asked Erik, once they were on their way to the elevators.

“Oh, just a little favor. I told you we would have a great time.” He winked at him and they stepped into the cabin.

They were on the fourth floor in no time and Erik led their way as if he was at home, urging Marco to keep up. He tried to, but his legs just wouldn’t obey. Flying a plane was damn hard and exhausting even if he had two co-pilots and they had taken shifts. Marco would never tell this to Erik, but that was the reason why he scorned a bit at the flight attendants. Sure, they were doing an important job and in case of emergency they had to help the passengers, but somehow in his eyes, it could never be equal to the pilot’s responsibilities.

Erik opened the door and waited for him to get inside in front of the door, as if he was trying to make sure that Marco didn’t run away anywhere. His precaution was needless though, because there was no place in the world that Marco would prefer over the small hotel room. He gulped hesitantly as he noticed the huge double bed taking half the pace. Apparently, Americans couldn’t be bothered.

“What, do you want me to sleep on the recliner?” Erik asked amused from behind Marco, closing the door.

“No, of course not.” Marco laughed, remembering their earlier encounter in the windy city.

“That’s good, because I have other plans.” Erik stated firmly, grabbing Marco and pulling him to the bed, pushing him onto the mattress.

Marco was taken completely by surprise and he slumped down like dead weight. He looked up at the brunette questioningly. Erik didn’t say anything, just climbed on top of him, staring into his eyes. Marco lost himself in the hazel manifestation of pure joy and tranquility. It was so relaxing like that, for a few seconds he could only hear his own heart beating.

“And now you listen to me, Marco Reus!” Erik started seriously. “I understand that you are full of doubts and you think that everyone would dump you at the first possibility, even though I have no idea, why. In my opinion, you are the sweetest person that has ever wandered on the face of Earth and I would be the biggest fool if I would let go of you. So I want you to stop your self-pitying and questioning my love which is unconditional, by the way. Did I make myself clear?”

Marco looked at his boyfriend – he still found the thought too amazing to be true – bewildered. It took him a few seconds to digest the words and he finally nodded, because there was something in Erik’s voice that made him incapable of speaking.

“Good.” Erik’s face softened. “And now, I think we’ve waited enough for the next step, right?” He smiled at him mischievously.

“Erik!” Marco whined. “Not that I don’t want it or something, but I’m tired and we should get some rest.”

“Oh, I should have warned you that I don’t take no as an answer, right?” Erik chuckled, his hands already unbuttoning Marco’s shirt and the fact that the pilot didn’t protest was proof enough that he was supposed to carry on.

“But Thomas and Julian are next door…”

“No, they aren’t. Thomas has taken Julian sightseeing.” Erik shrugged, leaning closer to Marco, his lips almost touching his shoulder.

“But Thomas doesn’t know anything about New York!” Marco cried out, and it made Erik sigh.

“You know, Marco, for a pilot you can be really slow sometimes.” He waited a few seconds until Marco finally realized what he was talking about and gave sign of it with a silent ‘oh’. “Now I want us to enjoy this afternoon, okay?” He pressed his lips on Marco’s.

Erik’s hands wandered lower on the blonde’s arms, clenching his fingers around Marco’s wrist, pinning him even more tightly to the bed. He grabbed the pilot’s shirt with his teeth and unfolded it, revealing Marco’s worked out body. Erik leaned back for a second to appreciate the view in front of him and then continued massaging Marco’s jaws with his lips.

The blonde’s last wall of defense collapsed and he let out a loud moan. It made Erik stop for a moment to acknowledge with a smile the reaction he got from him, but then he wondered lower immediately, his lips relentlessly working their way down. The brunette now darted out his tongue and started to draw various patterns with it on Marco’s chest, to the rhythm of the pilot’s soft moans and whimpers. Marco couldn’t have imagined that he could feel so close to being in paradise only to the feeling of Erik’s warm and wet tongue skating smoothly on his skin. He closed his eyes and didn’t even look at the flight attendant, because he knew that otherwise he would completely lose his mind.

He still felt enough as Erik now traced his six pack, giving a peck to each of them. The next moment all Marco could feel were jolts of ecstasy. He had no idea what the younger one was doing with his lips, so he had to open his eyes to find out. The view was beyond his imagination; Erik was looking back at him with lazy eyes, why he _sucked_ on Marco’s navel, pushing his tongue inside and whenever he did so, a shiver ran down Marco’s spine, turning his legs into useless masses of jelly, trembling uncontrollably.

“Erik, please.” He whined, his voice at least two octaves higher than usually.

Erik grinned satisfied and let go of Marco’s hands so he could unbuckle the pilot’s belt. His fingers moved with confident movements, and he quickly got rid of Marco’s pants. The blonde’s boxers made no secret of his arousal; his manhood almost tore apart the thin material and the brunette nodded.

“I see I’m doing fine so far.”

“You are doing much better than fine.” Marco sighed, reaching out with his hands to urge the younger one to continue.

Erik didn’t protest. He dug his fingers under Marco’s underpants, his fingertips massaging his thigh burning with lust. Marco lifted his hips as the brunette finally pulled down his boxers. The blonde had no idea what Erik had in his mind, but he decided to trust him and let him take initiative.

Erik didn’t let him wait for long. He grabbed Marco’s cock and started to caress it with slow strokes. At the same time, he snuggled closer to the pilot and started kissing him, in rhythm to his hand’s moves. The contact took Marco completely by surprise and he lost himself in it. It felt like Erik’s lips drew him into a dark and bottomless well that at the same time was so inviting. He came back to his senses as Erik cut off their kiss. Marco groaned at the loss of contact to the brunette’s lips, but a second later they touched him on a very different spot of his body.

Erik’s mouth wrapped around his cock very quickly, it almost felt like an instant and Marco moaned at the warm sensation. His skilled lover didn’t remain idle for long, he retreated to draw a deep breath only so for the second time he could slip all the way down, swallowing Marco’s remarkable length. The pilot gasped for air and he saw stars all around himself. He felt so helpless and vulnerable to Erik’s actions, but at the same time it felt so _good_. He knew that the other one would never do him any harm.

Erik started to bob up and down on his cock, varying his pace to keep Marco moaning uncontrollably. And just when the pilot thought that he couldn’t surprise him, he stopped, only keeping his cock’s head in his mouth, twisting his tongue around the sensitive nib. Marco hissed and gulped. He was really close now and only waited for the mercy of Erik.

The brunette started to move with his lips again, and soon enough, Marco felt his climax building up in his groin.

“Erik– I think I’m– Oh, God!” He panted, unable to finish a sentence.

His every muscle stiffened and his hip shot up as he reached his orgasm. He could barely catch his breath and punched the mattress next to him numerous times while hot jets of his semen hit the back of Erik’s throat over and over again. After what seemed like long minutes of pure joy, he slowly calmed down and collapsed on the bed.

Erik gave a final peck to his manhood and climbed up next to Marco, to kiss its proud and satisfied owner as well. His face was sparkling from sweat of strain.

“This was fantastic.” Marco said, his eyes smiling as much as his lips. “I won’t ever top it.”

“Luckily, you don’t have to.” Erik laughed. “Just get some sleep. You must be tired.”

His voice was so soft and tender, that Marco – despite all his effort – slowly closed his eyes and dozed off with a huge grin on his face.


	20. Paying Your Debts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another explicit scene before we continue with the plot, hopefully you will like this one, too. Or not. In either case, please share your opinion so I can learn and make this story better. :)

Marco had no idea how long he had been sleeping, but it couldn’t have been for long, since the sun hadn’t reached its zenith yet. He was so tired that he could have slept for at least half a day, both because of the exhausting flight and the jetlag, but he was startled awake from his sweet dreams. He needed a few seconds to collect his thoughts and recall what exactly had happened a few minutes earlier. Erik must have tucked him up, because he didn’t remember getting under the cover, he had fallen asleep naked on the bed sheets and now felt a bit ashamed of it.

But he wasn’t half as ashamed as the moment he realized that he had actually got asleep right after Erik had given him the best blowjob of his life. What could be lamer than that? He was ready to rant at himself for his stupidity. He must have seemed really egoistic for not repaying Erik’s favor! And where was the brunette at all? Marco sat up in the bed and looked around in the room, but there was no sign of the flight attendant apart from his clothes neatly arranged on one of the wardrobe’s shelves. Despair washed over the pilot, he thought himself left behind again, but then he heard the sound of running water from the bathroom.

He smiled under his nose and crawled out of the bed. He slowly pushed down the door handle and stepped to the warm bathroom. Erik was standing in the shower stall, his back to Marco so he hadn’t noticed the blonde closing in on him. He watched as the brunette started massaging his head while washing his wonderful hair, showing the perfect contour of his shoulder blades. Marco’s eyes wandered lower and rested at Erik’s round butts, the view getting a reaction from him immediately. But he would have to wait with his own urges; he had other things to do, first.

He stepped behind Erik and pressed his lips against the younger one’s shoulder, just like a vampire would attack his prey from behind. His love spun around startled, but his features softened as he recognized him.

“I haven’t heard you.” He said. His face was red from the hot water.

“That’s good, because I didn’t want to be heard.” Marco smiled.

“Oh, should I be worried?” Erik asked, a playful smile forming in the corners of his lips.

“No.” Marco chuckled. “I could never hurt you.”

Marco eliminated all distance left between their bodies and pressed their lips together. Erik opened his mouth immediately, inviting him further and Marco’s tongue made use of the way that was given to it. His hands were busy too; he wanted to bury every part of Erik’s body with them. The brunette appreciated his efforts with soft moans that were barely audible over the water stream now soaking them both.

Marco’s fingers ran down Erik’s back, and he grabbed the younger one’s ass, squeezing it in rhythm to his tongue massaging his palate. He rubbed their bodies together, trapping both of their cocks. When he finally broke the contact of their lips, Erik groaned, not making secret of his annoyance. Marco chuckled softly; he couldn’t quite believe that he got this reaction out of the other one and he was glad that Erik took even this opportunity to strengthen his self-confidence by thanking for every small move with sweet sounds.

The blonde knelt down, to get his head in level with Erik’s prancing manhood. He grabbed the dick at its hilt with one hand, while he snuggled closer and placed his lips around the sensitive tip. He started to slowly close the distance between his fingers and his mouth and Erik cried out in pleasure. Marco didn’t let himself to be disturbed by the eager reaction; he continued swallowing Erik’s cock, breathing hot air on the young’s member.

“Marco!” Erik sighed his name in anticipation. His legs trembled like jelly and he had to place his hands on the stall’s wall to keep him standing. “Please, don’t torture me!” He whined and Marco obeyed.

He sped up his pace, his lips working relentlessly on Erik’s impressive length. He only stopped when his neck started to hurt a bit, but he used the pause to take his boyfriend’s pleasure to a new level. He first swirled his tongue around the head of Erik’s cock and then pressed it against Erik’s leaking slit, licking off pre-come of it.

“Oh God!” Erik cried out, punching the tiles with his fist. “Don’t stop, I’m so close now.” His voice lost its bass and strength and he sounded like a weak child.

Marco restarted caressing Erik’s dick and it took him only a few more strokes to send his boyfriend over the edge. The brunette recoiled and Marco needed to hold him hard to keep him on his feet as he shot his salty load in his mouth. He held Erik’s dick in between his lips until it softened and he kissed it after working down its full length for a last time.

The next moment, Erik grabbed him by his armpits and pulled him up. His pupils were still dilated from lust and his breathing was heavier than it would have been if he had just finished a marathon.

“What did you do to me?” He asked and Marco got unsure for a second.

“Didn’t you like it?”

“No, I _loved_ it.” Erik smiled at him and gave him a chaste peck. “We’ll continue in the bedroom.”

“Oh, it was only for you, I owed you this much.” Marco laughed.

“Stop it, this isn’t a stupid competition!” Erik snapped and lowered his voice. “I want you to take me, Marco.”

Marco was startled by Erik’s confession, but he couldn’t say no; not to the brunette’s seductive purr and definitely not with a manhood twitching to get attention and relief. They made short work of their shower; they reasoned that they would need another one soon, nonetheless and they dried themselves up quickly.

They stumbled to the bedroom, their lips never parting on the way. They slumped down on the bed, lost in each other’s arms and started to roll around, exchanging a passionate kiss for long minutes. When they were done, they were both gasping for air. They looked into each other’s eyes.

“I’m ready, Marco.” Erik said, his voice hoarse from anticipation.

“Um, okay.” Marco stammered. “Do you have lube?”

The brunette nodded and reached for his bag, getting out a bottle of the needed liquid and handed it to Marco. The pilot covered his fingers with it and started to massage Erik’s sensitive hole. He watched his every reaction very carefully, trying to remember what the younger one liked and what didn’t. Erik turned out to be not too helpful, because it looked like he was up for everything in bed. No matter, what he tried, Erik moaned in pleasure and he didn’t even seem to notice when Marco slipped in one finger. He was unsure and feared that he was doing something wrong.

“Don’t slow down!” Erik warned him over his ecstasy.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve just thought that–”

“Don’t think!” Erik snapped at him, but Marco couldn’t withhold his chuckle. Maybe the young one was right and thinking wouldn’t do him any good. Instead, he slipped in another digit and this time he got out a loud cry from Erik. That was all his self-confidence needed; he started scissoring his fingers in his boyfriend, stretching him.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Erik sighed in impatience.

“Are you sure?” Marco looked up at him and the brunette nodded.

The blonde reached for his wallet and got out a condom that he slipped on himself before lining himself up with lube. Erik lay down in the meantime, awaiting Marco’s penetration. Marco placed his dick’s head against the younger one’s entrance, not even thinking about how hungry for sex he had to seem for his manhood not needing any touch to get rock hard again. He decided it was indeed for the best if he left behind all his worries and concentrated on the feelings he would live through in the upcoming minutes.

“Oh my God!” Erik panted as Marco carefully pushed inside.

“Did I hurt you?” Marco asked back hesitantly, really concerned.

“No, it’s just so much better than what I have expected.” Erik smiled, his features softened again and his eyes begged Marco to continue.

Marco pulled out almost completely only to thrust into the younger one forcefully. Maybe he should have gone more gently on Erik, but the other one had been right: it’d been too long for them to wait any more. He took up a natural rhythm and Erik pushed against him with his hips accordingly, calling him deeper and deeper. And Marco shoved himself up all the way into Erik. His love arched his back in pleasure as he hit his prostate and stayed like that for a few seconds.

“Do that again.” Erik whispered, his eyes dilated and his breathing so heavy that Marco was afraid that he might have some respiratory problems.

He didn’t need further encouragement, he buried himself in Erik over and over again, drawing exhausted gasps from the brunette every single time. He felt so perfectly around him. His ass was so tight that Marco was really close to reaching his climax. But he wouldn’t let Erik down and he reached for his manhood already asking for his attention again. He started to jerk him off in rhythm to his thrusts and soon milked some pre-come from him. He leaned forward and licked it off. Erik trembled at the contact.

“I won’t last much longer.” He whined.

“Don’t hold it back. Give it to me, baby!” Marco encouraged him, not sure where the words came from.

He made his thrusts quicker and harder, stroking Erik faster. He felt all his blood rush to his groin the same moment as Erik cried out, his eyes full of lust. The room darkened around Marco as his whole body stretched and he filled Erik with his release. At the same moment, the brunette shot his load onto his fingers.

Marco slipped out of Erik and collapsed on him completely worn out. He didn’t know how long he had stayed there, and he probably would have fallen asleep right there, but Erik nudged him awake.

“We should take another shower.” Marco didn’t really hear the words; instead, he picked them up through Erik’s chest resonating under his ears.

“No.” He pouted and it made his boyfriend burst out laughing.

“Come on, I promise we will sleep after that.” Erik insisted and Marco got up grudgingly.


	21. Dinner for Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the plot, although not much happens in this particular chapter, I've set up a more important scene and I also needed to show you more about Julian. Hopefully you will like this update and it would be great to get your feedback. :-)

They slept until early evening, never letting go of each other. Marco woke up with his head resting on Erik’s strong chest, a lot different pose than how they slept a week earlier in Chicago. It looked like the New Continent made them good. Erik was still fast asleep and the blonde did everything to keep it that way, but his stomach grumbled and that ultimately woke up the brunette.

“Good morning or shall I say evening?” Erik smiled at him, his eyes still sleepy.

“I don’t really care as long as you’re so close to me.” Marco winked at him and made the other one beam. He felt Erik’s hand tenderly caressing his arm. The hair stood up on his arm but it was such a wonderful sensation that he wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

“You’re spoiling me with your compliments and declarations of love.” Erik chuckled. Marco opened his mouth to object, but his stomach spoke for him sooner. “Oh, I hear someone’s hungry!”

“Well, the food served on the plane was barely enough…” Marco noted.

“Oh, next time I should let you prepare your own meals, then.” Erik pouted but Marco didn’t notice that he was acting. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked apologetically at his boyfriend.

“I’m sorry, I was just joking.”

“Chill out, Marco, me too!” Erik soothed him. “I see that you’re still over-careful about me.”

“I’d be mad if I wasn’t! You’re a treasure to take good care of.”

“Stop it, Marco, otherwise I’ll blush.” But it was still too late to warn the pilot; Erik’s face was redder than red. “We should get us some dinner. I’m hungry as a bear.”

“First, we should get some clothes on.” Marco pointed out. They had hit the bed right after their second shower that had turned out to be very sensual. He was sure that if it wasn’t for their tiredness, they would have ended up making love again. The lust had been definitely there.

“Sir, yes, sir!” Erik saluted playfully and hauled himself off the bed, much to Marco’s disappointment. But at least he could see his beautiful love in all his naked glory, once again. His eyes wandered straight to Erik’s perfectly round butts and his dick twitched at the realization how much he wanted to bury himself in the younger one already.

He groaned as he slowly got up, lacking the momentum that Erik must have had an abundance of. They helped each other choose their clothes what Marco found ridiculous. He never took any fashion advice from anyone; he had a keen sense of style. And now there was a young man that had stolen his heart and he was trying to please him and not himself. They finally settled on a pair of outfits that didn’t shout that they were together, and yet, their clothes weren’t completely different from each other.

His every hope of a romantic dinner was however shattered the moment they stepped out of their room and practically bumped into Thomas and Julian who were on their way to the hotel’s restaurant, too. His co-pilot checked him out for a second and nodded approvingly, unable to hide his stupid grin. Julian, on the other hand, looked pretty annoyed and it didn’t need a genius to guess that they haven’t had such a wonderful day as Marco and Erik.

“Can we join you?” Thomas asked them.

“We’d be honored!” Erik cried out, although Marco didn’t share his enthusiasm.

He was afraid of the prospect of Thomas sitting opposite to him the whole evening and every time he would open his mouth, he would scare the hell out of Marco. Why would we deny it, Thomas had some problems of choosing the setting of private conversations.

He acted well though on their way down in the elevator, chatting with Erik about their day. His boyfriend tried to establish a conversation with Julian, too, but the young one only grumbled at any mention of the afternoon. Marco acknowledged satisfied that he would have something to retort with in case Thomas tried to discuss his daily program.

He made good use of his observations during their meal when he knew that Thomas’s next question would cross that line where his most private life started. He had noticed how both the other two pilots referred to their afternoon as only sightseeing and never went into details.

“So, Julian, did you like New York?” He turned to the young greenhorn who looked at him as if he was inquiring about his bedtime routine. By the way, based on Julian’s punctuality and distress during the flight, Marco was sure that he had one.

“Um, it was fine.”

“Isn’t that strange? We get to see the world, but we barely really see it.” Marco continued talking to no-one in particular.

“Well, a good tip for the future: if you want to explore a city, find someone who actually knows something about it.” Julian grumbled.

“Excuse me, what is your problem with my tour guide skills and knowledge?” Thomas exclaimed indignant.

“Where should I start? The point when you said that New York was established in the 70s or when you showed me the same building for the fourth time, referring to it as ‘a tall building’.”

“I told you it wasn’t the same building! It’s just that all skyscrapers look the same! And it _was_ tall!”

“I can’t believe you!” Julian shook his head.

“And I’m fed up with your complaining!” Thomas snapped back. “Do you want to know why you had to endure me the whole day? Ask these two here!”

That’s all it took for Julian to jerk his head up and look at Marco and Erik in turns. _Well, thank you, Thomas_ , Marco mumbled, unable to come up with anything but the truth. Luckily though, his boyfriend was more prepared.

“I’m sorry, Julian, but I learnt when we landed that a distant relative was in the city and he wanted to see me at all cost. And you know he’s very loud and special, not someone I’d like to show up with in public. I’m afraid that I’ve ruined Marco’s afternoon, too.” Erik wore his most apologetic mask. It was a transparent lie, but at least it shut Julian’s mouth for the time being.

“I hope that it was worth it, Marco and that you got laid.” Thomas mumbled into Marco’s ear and the blonde felt that all blood left his face. His friend had no idea how much it was worth.

“There go your colleagues, Erik!” Julian called out, pointing at a group of stewardesses making their way into the restaurant. “Don’t you want to join them?”

“Oh, no! I hear enough about lipsticks and boyfriends already.”

“Isn’t that strange? I mean, there are not many male flight attendants…” Julian continued and Marco was ready to punch him. No-one was allowed to insult his boyfriend. Okay, Julian wasn’t doing it either, but Marco’s level of tolerance was minimized by his crazy love.

“You get used to it, and I enjoy my job very much.” Erik shrugged and then turned to Marco. “Are you alright?”

The pilot was still pale, and he hadn’t recovered from the shock of Thomas’s straightforward comment, and on top of that, there was another source of dread that Erik didn’t see. Maybe he didn’t want to join the stewardesses, but one of them looked eager to talk to the young man and was now on her way to their table.

“I’m sorry to bother the gentlemen, but I’d like to borrow Herr Durm for a second.” Marco heard Anne’s raspy voice and it sounded as if she was miles away.


	22. You Can't Choose Your Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More than 3000 hits and 200 comments, you are an incredible audience! It's so easy to write when you have such supportive readers. I'll try to thank you with fast and hopefully good updates, please keep on sharing your thoughts. :-)

Time hadn’t passed so slowly in Marco’s life ever before. He stared at Erik and Anne having an apparently heated conversation, wishing that he had learnt to read from the lips. Thomas poked him with his elbow in the ribs, because Julian was still carrying on their discussion. The pilot looked at the younger one clueless. Julian only smiled at him and repeated his question, but Marco wished he hadn’t.

“I was asking if you’ve known Erik for a long time.”

“What?” Marco snapped. He was unprepared for such inquiries and had no idea what to answer. He shot a desperate look at Thomas, but his co-pilot seemed more occupied with studying the drink list. “Um, I wouldn’t say so.” He finally stammered.

“Oh, I just thought, because you look like you are good friends.”

Julian tried to keep his cool, but glanced at Anne a few times and it made him very suspicious in Marco’s eyes. He was sure that the greenhorn’s curiosity wasn’t sincere, or even if it was, he had some secret reason behind his prying questions. He quickly looked at his plate and organized his cutlery in a way to signal the waiter that he was done.

“Thank you. I’m full.” He sighed. “I think I will have some sleep, this jetlag is killing me!”

“What are you talking about? You’ve never had problem adjusting to the local time.” Thomas chose a very inappropriate moment to rejoin the conversation, but Marco silenced him with a strict look. “Oh, but I guess we’re getting old. Good to have the younger generation getting ready to take our place.” He winked at Julian who smiled under his nose.

Marco cut their dinner short by standing up and he slowly walked out of the restaurant, making sure that Erik saw him. The brunette nodded at him and only then Marco hurried up. He didn’t go far, he decided to wait for his boyfriend in the lobby and Erik joined him soon. He looked very upset.

“What’s wrong?” Marco rushed to him.

“Shall we take a walk?” Erik asked him and he nodded. They turned to the entrance and strode outside. New York wasn’t as warm as Frankfurt, but Marco couldn’t have cared about the temperature right now.

“What did she say?” He urged Erik to tell him about his previous conversation with the hated aunt. “Was she talking about us?”

“Yes.” Erik said dryly, but didn’t give any further explanation.

“And? God, Erik, you’re killing me!”

“She just reminded me of my duties as a flight attendant and that I shouldn’t date an employee of Lufthansa in the first place, but if I do, I should keep our relationship at home.”

“Oh.” Marco sighed. He was expecting something worse, like reporting them, or forbidding Erik to see him.

“I’m so sorry, about her, Marco. Believe me, my other relatives aren’t this hard to handle.”

“It’s okay, Erik. It’s not your fault that she’s like this.”

“Oh, and you should be careful about what you say in front of Julian. I have a feeling that any information goes straight to Anne from him.”

“I had the same impression.” Marco laughed. “So what should we do? She might be right…”

“Um, I don’t really know.” Erik shrugged. “I mean, we should really keep it out of workplace.”

“Agreed.” Marco nodded with a serious expression.

“But when we’re at home, no-one can stand between us.” Erik beamed.

A huge weight lifted off Marco’s mind. He had really been scared that Anne would ruin their romance, but it seemed that Erik wouldn’t let that happen. There was still one thing he needed to ask the brunette, though.

“And won’t she tell anything your mom?” He looked at Erik concerned and the younger one burst out laughing.

“Marco, I’m not a teenager! She might tell her, so what? My mom can’t stop me from loving you, and I think she will adore you.”

They smiled at each other and Erik reached out to grab his hand. They continued walking down the street and it felt so good. It was something he liked about America: everyone went everywhere by car, so there was no-one around to look at them scornfully for having a romantic stroll. He didn’t know the limits of the residents’ tolerance and he didn’t want to put it to a test.

“You know what? I think you should meet her!” Erik cried out his sudden idea.

“What? I mean whom?” Marco gasped.

“My mother. Before Anne could tell her how horrible you are.” Erik looked at him enthusiastic, but his smile vanished when he realized Marco’s face full of terror. “Come on, you wanted to know more about my family! Here’s your chance.”

“That’s not exactly what I had on my mind.” He sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she’s a lovely person, but wouldn’t it be too early to introduce each other to our folks?”

“I see. You’re ashamed of me.” Erik shook his head and he let go of Marco’s hand.

“Oh, God, no!” Marco apologized hastily. “But maybe we should take our time…”

“And wait for what?” Erik snapped back. “If you love me, then there’s no point in deferring the inevitable.” He uttered the last three word with exaggerated drama.

“Okay, then. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to hurt you.” Marco mumbled.

“Marco.” Erik sighed. “You really need to work on your self-confidence, you’re so easily manipulable.”

Marco looked at the young brunette puzzled and saw that he was grinning in a very self-conceited manner. When realization dawned on him, he made a quick use of all the swear words he knew, but eventually burst out laughing together with Erik.

“You’re really mean, you know that, right?” He finally managed to ask when he caught his breath.

“Oh no! I’m just crazy in love with you and I want to share it with my mother.” They stared into each other’s eyes for long seconds. “So are we good?” He asked with real concern in his voice.

“Of course we are!” Marco cried out and he grabbed Erik’s hand. “Do you want to see some of New York with me?”

“Why don’t we ask Thomas to show us around?” Erik smirked and Marco chuckled at his note. However, his thoughts turned gloomy again soon. Just when he had gotten rid of one fear, another member of the Durm family showed up and would give him sleepless nights…


	23. A Hard Day's Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another explicit scene that I simply couldn't leave out. If you're uncomfortable with it, just skip this chapter, we will carry on with the plot in the next one. :-)  
> Dear Blue Night, this one is for you. Without your support, I wouldn't have started writing explicit scenes (Who knows, maybe it would be better that way, I'll let you be the judge. :-D). I hope this helps you feel better a little bit. :-)

Despite the early summer, it got dark and cold very quickly and before they realized it, Marco was shivering. Erik noticed it immediately and they hurried back to the hotel. Their room was warm, but nothing could warm up Marco’s frosty hands. There was nothing else that he wanted more than getting under the covers and go to sleep. He was almost one hundred percent sure that he was going to get a cold, but it was still worth it; he had had a wonderful time with Erik.

“You know, maybe we should take a hot shower.” The brunette suggested.

“No, I think we’ve had enough for today. I just want to lie down and get some sleep.”

“God, Marco, you _are_ clueless sometimes…” Erik sighed and it still took the pilot a few seconds to understand what he was talking about.

“Oh. I mean, I wouldn’t say no, but Thomas and Julian are next door and I’m sure Julian would be running to Anne with the details.”

“Marco! I’m aroused and horny. Don’t talk about my aunt!” Erik said, already getting rid of his clothes.

“I’m sorry.” Marco laughed. He walked to his side of the bed and he took off his T-shirt. “But I’m really tired. I promise I will be all yours tomorrow and you can spend the night at my place.”

“Supposing that you invite me in.” Erik mumbled grudgingly.

“Hey! I get it, I made a fool of myself, there’s no need to remind me of it.” Marco retorted, fainting resentment. If Erik was playing dirty, he could do it, too.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Erik apologized, but he was still disappointed for being turned down. “Good night, then.”

He turned off the lamp on his nightstand and crawled under the sheets, lying down with his back to Marco. The blonde looked at his boyfriend with a lump in his throat. It was the first time he saw Erik sad, but he immediately decided that he didn’t want there to be a second time. He quickly stepped out of his pants and he didn’t even put on his pajamas before following the brunette’s example.

The room was pitch-dark and he lay awake on his back for a long time. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking, and his thoughts weren’t pleasant at all. He could hear from Erik’s breathing that the younger one wasn’t sleeping, either. It was incredible how easily they could read each other even after just a few days’ of acquaintance. He finally sighed and turned to Erik.

“I’ve had a wonderful day, you must know that.” He whispered. Erik acted for a second as if he hadn’t heard him, but he finally turned around and Marco could see him beaming despite the darkness.

“Me too. I love you.”

They weren’t really close to each other, a person could have easily snuggled in between them, but Erik quickly eliminated all distance between their faces and pressed their lips together. The brunette’s lips did wonders on Marco’s. He suddenly felt Erik’s fingers on his cheeks tenderly caressing him and his whole body trembled at the touch. He knew he couldn’t withhold himself and that Erik had won. Marco was a man full of love and more importantly, hormones. His hand acted of its own accord and it wandered lower on Erik’s side, rubbing the soft skin. He reached the younger one’s underwear and he slipped his fingers under them.

“Hey, I thought that Julian would hear us.” Erik exclaimed surprised when he felt Marco’s fingers around his still hard manhood.

“Not if I keep kissing you in the meantime.” Marco mumbled and made their lips meet again.

He started to jerk off the brunette, and despite his all precautions, nothing could stop Erik from moaning in pleasure. Not that Marco minded; he was glad that he made the younger one crave for more. He didn’t have much space to give him the care he truly deserved, but Erik’s twitching member was the proof that he still did a good job. He kept things interesting by varying the pace of his moves.

He climbed on top of Erik, trapping his dick between their lust-driven bodies and pressing his own shaft against his abdomen. Their lips never parted and their tongues danced relentlessly the whole time. They were both out of breath but they still didn’t rest; their brains didn’t need much air for what they were doing.

Marco’s fingers slipped up and down easily on Erik’s whole length, thanks to the huge amount of pre-come he had milked out of the brunette. Erik’s manhood was throbbing under his touch and his panting told him that he was really close to his climax. Marco slowed down his strokes and Erik reacted with an annoyed groan. The blonde chuckled and with a sudden final jerk he brought his love over the edge.

Erik’s whole body trembled and he cried out in surprise, but Marco quickly silenced him by pressing his tongue deep inside the cavern of the younger one’s mouth. Erik shot his load in fast and hot jets all over Marco’s fingers. The blonde never loosened his grip throughout Erik’s orgasm and he only parted their lips when Erik caught his breath again.

“This was–” The brunette stammered, searching for the right word.

“Hush.” Marco silenced him smiling. He carefully climbed off his boyfriend, not to smudge the sheets.

“No, don’t go.” Erik grumbled.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going far.” Marco reassured him and he sat up in the bed. He reached for the nightstand and grabbed a few tissues from the box next to the lamp. He cleaned up his hand and Erik’s groin, too. He hauled himself off the bed and threw out the used tissues.

“I’m back, darling.” He whispered as he was crawling back under the sheets, but he didn’t get any answer. Erik was sleeping next to him peacefully, with a content smile on his face.


	24. Shrew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for your encouraging words, I'm so happy that you love my story. I'm still curious about your opinion, so please feel free to comment. :-) I want to hear what you think of my characters and the plot.

They woke up early in the next morning, but neither of them wanted to move. They lay in bed for hours, staring at each other, never having enough of the other one’s sight. They finally got up just in time to still get breakfast. Their takeoff was scheduled for eight in the evening, so they had the whole day for themselves. They stumbled to the restaurant and Erik volunteered to get Marco’s breakfast, too. The pilot accepted the offer and he looked around to find a good sitting place. He didn’t have a hard job; most of the tables were empty. But to his bad luck, Thomas was still having breakfast and he waved to Marco to join him. He had no other choice; he walked to the other blonde’s table and sat down opposite to him.

“Where’s Julian?” Marco asked.

“I don’t know. He left early to buy some presents for his family. At least, that’s what he’s said.”

Thomas’s words unsettled Marco. He quickly looked around, looking for Anne. Of course, the fact that neither of those two were in the restaurant didn’t mean that they were talking with each other, but he still was anxious about it. His friend looked at him questioningly and Marco decided that it was for the best if he resumed their chat.

“Okay. When he returns, tell him to get some rest. I don’t want him to fall asleep over the ocean.”

“Yeah, we both could need some sleep.” Thomas mumbled.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Marco exclaimed, afraid of the answer. The memories of the last night were still very vivid. They had been careful not to make much noise, but he wasn’t sure whether they had succeeded.

“You know, the walls are thin in a hotel like this.” Thomas smiled shamelessly.

“Oh, God!” Marco buried his face in his hands. But the next moment he was scared to death when he drew the consequences. “Did Julian hear us, too?”

“Why do you want to know?” Thomas asked back. He was always up for some extra information.

“Please, Thomas, it’s important.”

“I’m pretty sure he did. He was tossing and turning all the time, he even covered his ears with his pillow, but I doubt that it helped at all.”

“Shit!” Marco shook his head.

“Okay, what’s going on?  The Marco Reus I know would be red from shame right now and apologize without a break.”

“I just don’t want others to know about our bedroom activities.”

“No. You didn’t care about me knowing. You don’t want _Julian_ to know about your sexy times.”

“Now you are a detective? And don’t call it ‘sexy time’, it certainly feels more special than that.” Marco smiled.

“Ew, I’m not interested in the details. Plus, I’m eating.” Thomas grumbled but he couldn’t hide how happy he was for his friend.

 

There was no point in having lunch only two hours after they had finished their breakfast, so they had climbed back into bed right away. Erik had suggested returning Marco’s favor from the previous night, but the pilot had been determined to stop him. Not that he had been unmoved by the offer, his shaft longed for Erik’s touch like always. But he had had a long flight in front of him and he was going to be responsible for at least a hundred lives. He needed to be in top shape. Erik had sulked a little bit, just out of role, but he had accepted it.

The afternoon sleep had done good to Marco and when the crew left the hotel for the airport, he felt relaxed like never before. He had small talk with a few stewardesses. Erik and he had decided that they would not risk having any scene in front of Anne, so they kept their distance from each other. It wasn’t optimal, but they had spent a lot of time together in the past few days, they could manage a few hours apart. Anne still looked at them ready to notice the slightest sign of their affection for each other. But they wouldn’t give her the joy of it.

After they arrived at the airport, they separated and the three pilots went to the operations room to check for their revisions and the weather report. It was a wonderful feeling. They sat in a circle, all of them focused on the papers in front of them and Marco could feel the tension rising in him, something he hadn’t experienced for a long time. They were done in half an hour and after going through the security check, they proceeded to the gate. The airport’s crew had only parked the plane so they had a few minutes until they would be allowed to board. Thomas and Marco grabbed a coffee and they went through the flight schedule once more, just to be sure. The drink had its effect on him and he needed to leave to the restroom. He recoiled though when he heard two familiar voices from around a corner.

“What do you mean you don’t know anything? You can’t be this useless!” Anne’s angry voice.

“I’m sorry.” Julian mumbled, but the next time he spoke he had a very different attitude. “You know what, I’m not even sorry! Why would I be?”

“Oh, your righteousness kicked in, I see.” Anne said with a mocking tone. “Too bad it doesn’t always work. Should I remind you of your mishap? Or should we discuss it in front of your superiors?”

“You can’t do that!” Julian cried out, desperation, anger and fear behind his words.

“Try me, young man.” Anne didn’t give up the fight. Julian must have retreated though, because Anne’s voice became satisfied. “That’s better. Now you will be locked in the same room with Marco for eight hours, I expect you to find out something.”

Their conversation was ended and Marco had to hurry up to avoid meeting Anne. He had no idea what to make out of what he had heard. Was Anne blackmailing Julian? And what had made the young man change his mind? He looked nosy and always up for gossips. Marco would surely have a lot to think about on their flight back home.

 

But despite his intensive thinking, he didn’t get any closer to the answer by the time they landed in Frankfurt. They had had a perfect and calm flight, not something Julian could learn much from. In the crew lounge, Anne announced that she wanted to talk to the cabin crew. Erik shot Marco a desperate look, and the blonde tried to reassure him. So while Thomas left early, he was sitting in the comfortable room, waiting for his boyfriend. Julian stayed there to, because he wanted to meet a friend of his. Driven by a sudden idea, Marco thought it was the perfect opportunity to get his answers.

“Julian, can I ask you something?” He turned to the youngster.

“Yeah, sure.”

“I kind of overheard a conversation between you and Anne…” Marco bit down on his lip. This turned out to be more uncomfortable than he had thought and he wished he hadn’t started it in the first place. “I’ve had the impression that you are supposed to share some information with her?”

“What? No!” Julian freaked out and Marco could see for himself that he was a terrible liar. The blonde smiled at the greenhorn and tried to calm him.

“It’s okay. I already know that you spied on Erik and me.” Julian looked at him shocked. “But I also talked to Thomas and he said that we were quite, um, _loud_ last night. So my question is, why haven’t you told Anne about it?”

“God.” Julian shook his head, realizing that he had been exposed and there was no point in denial. “Look, I’m sorry for what I did. But I had no other choice. I mean, I had, but it’s complicated. I know that it was terrible and I won’t tell her anything else.” He hurried to reassure Marco. “It wasn’t right to start with.”

“Does she blackmail you?” Marco asked casually and Julian’s mouth opened even wider than before in shock.

“How much did you hear?” Julian snapped. He acted like a cornered rat.

“It’s okay, you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone, I want to help.” Marco put on his friendliest smile.

“Can I really trust you?” Julian asked back and he waited for the blonde’s reassuring nod. “Once in the parking lot she caught me smoking pot. I swear it was the only time.”

“Chill out, Julian, you don’t have to defend your case in front of me.” Marco laughed. “I was expecting something worse.”

“What? Do you mean that it can be helped?” Julian’s voice was full of hope.

“We will find out something.” He winked.

At that moment, the cabin crew returned from their impromptu meeting. The stewardesses looked very happy, but Erik walked a few steps behind them, his head hanging low. Anne ended the line. She, on the other hand, had a satisfied grin on her face. Marco didn’t think twice. He sprung up and charged at the parser, pulling her into a small compartment. She looked at the blonde bewildered.

“This has to be over, Anne!” Marco shouted. “Why the hell are you tormenting Erik? You don’t like us being together?”

“Mr. Reus, this behavior is unacceptable!”

“So is blackmailing your colleagues!” Marco couldn’t moderate himself. “You should stop with it right away.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. I believe that you are a reasonable person after all and that you will realize that this is wrong!”

“ _You_ are wrong for Erik!” She snapped back. “And maybe he has already come to his senses. If I were you, I would take better care about what’s going on between him and Mr. Draxler.”

Anne got around Marco who still hadn’t recovered from the effect of her words. He barely managed to arrange his thoughts in time to speak up for a last time.

“You are unbelievable! Julian isn’t gay!”

“God, you are blind!” She snorted and left the room, slamming the door in Marco’s face.


	25. Mrs. and Ms. Durm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for your nice words, your comments make me keep going. There's some jealousy, embarrassment and drama in this chapter, I hope you will like it. Make sure you share your thoughts. :-)

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Erik asked for the dozenth time, although there was no chance that he would get an answer. And indeed, Marco mumbled a simple ‘nothing’, never taking his eyes off the road. “Come on, you’re making me worried! Say something. Has Anne told you something? You know you shouldn’t believe anything she says!”

“Yeah.” Marco said, but his voice wasn’t convincing at all. Anne’s words still echoed in his mind and they didn’t give way to his love’s reassurances.

“Why did you talk to her in the first place? You basically attacked her!”

“Doesn’t she deserve it?” Marco snapped back.

“I didn’t say that.” Erik said shyly, frightened by the sudden change in his boyfriend’s voice. He saw that he stood no chance of getting out anything of the blonde, so he gave up. “Where are we going?”

“To my place.”

“Oh, right. Your promise.” Erik remembered and he smiled embarrassed.

But honestly, Marco had no intention to fulfill his promise. He was exhausted and he wanted to sleep above all. Or have a cold shower that would clear his mind of images of Erik and Julian together. He knew he was ridiculous for giving a thought to Anne’s words, but he couldn’t help it.

After all, Julian had to be as young as Erik, or at least very close. And he was handsome, Marco had to admit. If Julian was gay, he could have easily made a move. But still, there was that _if_ , and it was a huge one. The possibility that Anne had made everything up was at least as believable as Julian and Erik having something. The young pilot’s behavior was very suspicious, though. Marco wasn’t sure whether Anne had really blackmailed him. Maybe he helped Anne to tear them apart and get to Erik.

They didn’t talk anymore on their way to Marco’s house and they didn’t start a conversation once they sat down in the living room, either. The blonde didn’t even know why he had driven the brunette to his place. Maybe it would have been better if he had given him a lift home and spend the day apart, until he could finally sort out his thoughts.

“So, where should we go now?” Erik asked in a seducing voice. “The bedroom or do you want to do something wilder?”

“I’m too tired for that, Erik, I’m sorry.”

“That’s it! You either tell me what’s going on or I’ll walk out that door and never come back.” Erik stood up for himself.

“I thought so.” Marco snorted. “But if you want to walk out of my life so badly, spare me the part where you’re blaming me for it and just run into his arms.” He said before he realized what he was doing.

“Whose arms?” Erik looked back at him shocked. “Who are you talking about?”

“Julian.” Marco said. There was no way he could come out of this well, so he didn’t even try.

“What?” Erik snapped incredulously. “Who told you that?” He asked, but he didn’t need to think for long to figure that out alone. “Anne, right? God, Marco, why do you believe _her_ and not me?”

“So there’s nothing between you two?” Marco looked up.

“Of course not. I’m yours.”

“You would say the same if you loved him.” Marco pointed out, he wasn’t sure, why. Erik’s words had made him so relieved, and he had no doubts about their truthfulness.

“How can I persuade you?” Erik shook his head. “I know.” His face lit up and he fished his phone out of his pocket. Marco looked at him questioningly. He had the feeling that he wasn’t going to like the younger one’s idea. His fears were grounded, because Erik’s next sentence freaked him out.

“Hi, Mom!” The brunette smirked at Marco. “Yes, I’ve just got back from New York, I’m fine. I haven’t seen you for a long time, can I come over for dinner?– That’s great! What a coincidence!” He took a deep breath before he continued. “Listen, I’d like you to meet someone… Yes, he _is_ special.– Thanks Mom, we’ll be there at six, then. Bye!”

“Why did you?” Marco gasped.

“You promised me. And your face is priceless.” Erik laughed. “You should get some sleep, you’re tired, remember?” He winked at him and Marco couldn’t help but smile, too.

 

As he was standing in front of the Durm house, he was in no mood to smile, though. Erik, on the other hand, seemed to be amused. _Just wait until you meet my folks,_ Marco thought. He knew that his parents would adore Erik. Especially his mother; her love for her son was boundless and she would definitely think of Erik as another son of hers, not as a son-in-law.

But he had no idea what to expect from Erik’s mother. The brunette made sure to reassure him numerous times during the day when they were lying in bed next to each other, dozing off from fatigue. It wasn’t enough at all. Marco’s heart was still in his throat and there was a knot in his stomach and he didn’t think he could swallow a single bit of Mrs. Durm’s dinner.

“You’re ready, right?” Erik asked, but he didn’t wait for Marco’s answer. He knocked on the door what the blonde awarded with a cutting glance. Erik was so going to suffer for this.

Their knock wasn’t unanswered for long. The door was opened by a middle-aged woman with very nice features. Marco immediately recognized those wonderful eyes that looked exactly like Erik’s. Or it was rather the other way around, but he couldn’t care right now. His heart started to pound forcefully and he forgot to breathe for a second. He felt like his life was at stake, and Erik’s squeeze on his hand wasn’t much of a help.

“Hello guys, come on in! Dinner’s almost ready!” She let them in.

The hall was very cozy and Marco calmed down just a little bit. His fingers were still shaking but the fact that there were no dead bodies of former boyfriends on the walls was a good sign. He didn’t know what to do; his relationships usually didn’t last long enough to reach the point of introductions to family. But just when his heartbeat became normal again, a girl appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen, not much older than Erik.

“Hello, bro!” She smiled and she ran to Erik to hug him. Marco stepped aside politely and waited for his boyfriend to introduce him.

“Mom, I’d like you to meet Marco.” Erik finally started to speak. “Marco, this is my mother, Christine.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Durm.” Marco croaked.

“Please, call me Christine!” She smiled back at him.

“And this is my wonderful sister, Lisa.” Erik beamed. Marco could see that there was a special connection between the siblings. “I’m sorry; I probably forgot to tell you that she would be here, too.” Erik smirked, and there was no doubt about it: he wasn’t sorry at all and he ‘forgot’ it for a reason. He enjoyed putting Marco in this embarrassing situation. It was fair enough, the blonde deserved it after his stupidity.

“Why don’t you sit down in the dining room and I’ll check the dinner?” Mrs. Durm suggested and they agreed.

Erik led Marco to a bright room. It was very elegant and inviting, the kind of place where you sat down and didn’t want to get up again. Marco felt that his fears were slowly dispelled. Erik’s mom joined them just a minute later, carrying a tray. She placed it on the square table and sat down between her children, opposite to Marco.

“Don’t just sit and look at it, there’s plenty for everyone.” She smiled.

Erik reached forward and put a big portion on everyone’s plate. Marco ate a lot less when he was alone, but if the meal tasted half as good as it smelled, he was going to have no problem managing to eat everything.

“So, Marco, could you tell us more about you?” Mrs. Durm asked, her voice jingling. “When did you two meet?”

“A week ago.” Marco said shyly. Based on the time they had spent together, no one would consider them a serious couple, but things simply clicked between them wonderfully.

“I see.” That friendly smile again. She must have been used to Erik’s flaming romances. “And what do you do?”

“I’m a pilot.” Marco stated proudly. He saw a twitch on Mrs. Durm’s face. Of course, she had lost his husband; the last thing she wanted for her son was a pilot. But she didn’t say a thing and Erik hurried to save the uncomfortable situation.

“And one of the bests!”

“Stop, Erik.” Marco waved away his compliments that felt so good, but he knew he was going to blush if his boyfriend kept on with them.

“No, I want them to know what a wonderful pilot you are. Not anyone would have such a high rank at your age.” Erik insisted and Marco could already feel his face turning red.

“Do you go on really long flights, too?” Lisa inquired stunned.

“Yes.” Marco said simply. It was his everyday, nothing special if you asked him.

“Wow. Where did you fly last time?”

“New York.”

“Oh, you were together, then. I’m sure you enjoyed yourselves very much.” Lisa winked at her brother.

“Yes, we would have, if it wasn’t for a particular person.”

“Not Anne again.” Erik’s mother sighed. Anne’s intrigues must have been old news in the Durm family. “I’m so sorry about her, darling.” She reached forward to caress Erik’s hand but when she remembered that Marco was present, she withdrew her hand. “I wish I could do anything about it, but you know that she wouldn’t listen to me.”

“No, it’s okay.” Erik shot down his eyes. “And Marco stood up for me. He was really great.”

“Anne is the black sheep in the family; I hope you didn’t judge us by her.” Christine turned to Marco who shook his head hastily. “She just loves to interfere in others’ lives. Don’t you care about what she does or says.” Marco couldn’t ignore Erik’s self-satisfied glance. _See, I’ve told you_ , the brunette was trying to say.

“Yes, Erik has already warned me.” Marco chuckled. “But I wonder why she’s so relentless.”

The Durms stared in front of them and Marco understood that he had touched a sore spot in the family history. He silently scolded himself for being so nosy.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Mrs. Durm finally asked looking at Marco’s empty plate.

“Yes, thank you very much.” He seized the opportunity to end the awkward silence.

“Would you like a second serving?”

“No, thanks. I’m full. It was delicious.”

“I hope you still have some space for the dessert.”

“Dessert?” Erik snapped. “Mom, I told you not to make a big deal out of this dinner.”

“You know me, darling. Why don’t you give me a hand?” She stood up and Erik followed her to the kitchen. Marco wanted to stop him; he didn’t want to be left alone with Lisa, even if she looked really nice. But he certainly hadn’t expected the conversation they were about to have.

“Listen, Marco. I know Erik won’t tell you this, so I’ll go ahead. It has to do with Anne’s son, Alex. He was a wonderful person, two years younger than Erik and he clung to him as if he was his own brother. One winter, Erik went to the Alps with his friends and Alex wanted to go with them. Anne didn’t like the idea, but she couldn’t say no to him, so she let him go on the condition that Erik would take care of him.” She paused and Marco had a very strong suspicion what she was going to say. “Only Erik came home. It was an accident, but Anne was convinced that it was Erik’s fault. In a way, I think she persuaded Erik, too. That’s why she seizes every opportunity to make his life miserable and that’s why he never does anything about it.”

“But this isn’t right!” Marco exclaimed.

“No, it’s not.” Lisa smiled. “But don’t tell Erik that I’ve told you this. I wanted you to know about it so you could understand the situation.”

“Thank you.” Marco nodded. It seemed that Erik would never run out of secrets.


	26. Trust Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must make a few warnings first. This is another explicit chapter and it includes a light BDSM scene involving handcuffs and blindfold. You know whether you're up to this kind of stuff or not. I won't tell you to skip this chapter, because I'm very satisfied with it and I'd like you to read it and share your opinion, but of course I don't want to force you into anything. :-)  
> I'd like to thank Blue Night, too. You're a great help whenever I need you and this chapter needed your polishing so much.

“So, what did you think of them?” Erik asked. They were sitting in Marco’s living room, sipping beer. The brunette had looked curious ever since they had left his mother’s house, but Marco had decided that he would let him suffer a little bit and he had said nothing about the evening.

“They are really nice people.” He smiled.

“And you were adorable, too. Have I already told you how much I love you?” Erik snuggled closer to him.

“Um, I think I might need a reminder.” Marco snickered and Erik bent forward to plant a kiss on his lips.

“Better?” He asked and Marco nodded. “Good. But don’t think that I’m done with you for today.”

“And what about what I want?” Marco burst out laughing. “I think I deserve to pick a program. Maybe tomorrow evening we can go out and see a movie?”

“I don’t think so.” Erik sighed. “I’m flying to Dortmund and we’ll be back really late.”

“What? But you just got back!” Marco exclaimed.

“I know. You can guess what my reaction was when they told me today. I thought that my filling in would make them give me some extra days-off, but they seem to be coldhearted.”

“Wait, so in the morning you were sad because of _that_?”

“Yes. Why, what did you think?” Erik looked at him questioningly.

“Nothing. It’s not important.” Marco sighed. Their day could have been so much easier if he hadn’t jumped into conclusions prematurely. “Tell me more about your plans for today.”

“Well, it involves you and me and the bedroom.” Erik mumbled sheepishly.

“I thought you were flying tomorrow. Won’t you be too tired?”

“I’ve a young body, I can regenerate quickly.” The brunette winked at him. “And I want to work on you trusting me. So I want to take total control tonight.”

Erik looked at Marco concerned about his reaction. And the blonde had no idea what to say. Erik’s suggestion came suddenly and he was overwhelmed by the prospect of the younger one doing anything with him. He didn’t have a clue about what this anything could include, but he gathered this was the whole point of it. He finally decided to listen to his manhood that had twitched at Erik’s words.

“It sounds amazing.” He grinned.

“But I have to make sure that you will be a good boy and obey me.” Erik continued. He was blushing and he quickly shot down his look. “Remember, you can say no.” He hesitated.

“You’re worrying me, blurt it out!”

“Okay.” Erik took a deep breath and he grabbed Marco’s hand. “Don’t laugh at me, but I want to restrain you.” He said sheepishly.

“What?” Marco stammered. His brain didn’t get nearly enough oxygen, because all of his blood seemed to have rushed to his groin. He had never done anything like this before and he hadn’t given it a thought in all honesty, but his body made no secret of what it thought about Erik’s offer.

“We don’t have to do it, if you don’t like it.” Erik hurried to reassure him. “But I think it would boost your trust and we would have a good time.” He smiled mischievously, his face still red.

“I’m in.” Marco nodded and Erik grinned like a little schoolboy. “But I don’t think I have anything that, you know, you can tie me to the bed with.” He mumbled embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about that.” Erik whispered. “Come with me.”

They stood up and walked to the bedroom. Marco had never been so excited in his life. He was looking forward to their encounter, but at the same time, he was full of doubts. They lay down on the bed next to each other. Erik flung an arm around Marco’s hips and pulled him closer, crashing their lips together.

The familiar feeling calmed Marco down just a little bit, but his body was still tense. Erik deepened their kiss and his tongue seemed to be everywhere in Marco’s mouth. He felt the brunette’s hand running down his back then stopping, and tugging at the hem of his T-shirt. Marco sat up and quickly got rid of his top. Erik followed suit and they looked each other in the eyes for one long moment.

“Are you sure we can do this?” Erik asked for a last time. Marco nodded. “Then lie down. I’ll be back in a second.”

Erik got up and jogged out of the room. Marco snuggled closer to the headboard and piled up all his pillows. If Erik wanted to restrain him and expected him to submit to him unconditionally, he at least wanted to have a good view. He had just lain down when the brunette returned, holding a pair of handcuffs in his hands.

“Where did you get those from?” Marco asked surprised. Erik hadn’t been at his place ever since they had come back to Frankfurt. So either he kept it at his mother’s or–

“I’ve had them with me in New York. Just in case you decided to run away.” Erik chuckled and climbed on top of Marco.

He flung the chain around one of the headboard’s rails. Marco gulped at the sound and the brunette noticed his anxiety. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on the pilot’s forehead. When he sat up again, he straddled the blonde and smiled at him reassuringly. He reached for Marco’s hands and brought his hands above his head. He didn’t break eye contact during the whole time and Marco suddenly felt the cold metal click around his wrists. His natural reaction was to fight against his restrains, but Erik was quick to calm him down.

“Shh. It’s okay.” He whispered. “I won’t hurt you. You know that, right?” Marco nodded, still nervous. Erik smiled and he reached inside his back pocket to bring out a black textile.

“Hey, you haven’t said anything about blindfolds!” Marco snapped and he tried to get out of his bonds.

“It’s part of the fun.” Erik shrugged, his voice very tender. “It would make every sensation much stronger. Try it, and if you don’t like it, I’ll take it off, I promise. And if I do anything that you don’t want me to do, just say so and I’ll stop.”

Marco didn’t even consider how come Erik had come to know so much about BDSM. His words were so convincing that the blonde could only nod and Erik put the cloth around his head, tying it firmly, but not so tight that it would hurt Marco. The experience was completely unknown to Marco. But to his surprise, he liked it. His instincts told him that he should have fought, but Erik’s hands started to caress his body and because of the temporary loss of his vision, the feeling was magnified a thousand times, just like the brunette had predicted it. His heart was still throbbing in his throat, but he could push away his worries and enjoy the care he got from his boyfriend. There was not much else left for him.

He suddenly felt Erik’s full lips on his neck, massaging the sensitive skin and Marco moaned out loudly. The brunette didn’t stay there for long though; he obviously was as excited as Marco. He stuck out his tongue and licked his way down the blonde’s chest. Marco’s skin was tingling with the sensation and the next moment Erik pushed him to a new level when he placed his lips on Marco’s nipple. At the same time, he felt Erik’s fingers rummaging with his trousers’ zipper.

Marco’s shaft couldn’t ignore the prospect of the same fingers wrapped around it. It started to twitch uncontrollably and Erik must have noticed it, because he chuckled and the next moment he pulled down Marco’s pants along with his boxers. The blonde felt cold all of a sudden, but what troubled him the most was that he lay on his bed naked, in restrains and he had no idea what Erik was doing. His skin had kept him informed, but as soon as the brunette had broken every contact, Marco had remained clueless.

That’s why he was completely taken by surprise as Erik lifted his lef and started to kiss his way towards the blonde’s groin. After every peck, Marco’s dick twitched, leaking pre-cum, impatiently waiting for the younger one’s touch. It seemed like hours until Erik finally passed Marco’s knee and he was getting closer and closer, his lips now almost next to Marco’s balls– And then he started to kiss Marco’s other leg. The blonde groaned in frustration and he wanted to grab Erik’s head to push it against his dick, but the handcuffs didn’t allow him to do that.

“I see you’re enjoying yourself.” Erik said amused. He probably beamed like an idiot right now, completely satisfied with himself.

“Erik, this is torture.” Marco whined, no other form of protest available to him.

But he didn’t need any, because the next moment he felt Erik’s warm mouth enclosing the head of his dick. Marco’s whole body trembled under the touch and he had to muster all his self-control to stop himself from shooting his load down the brunette’s throat already. Erik slowly started to move down his whole length and at the same time he caressed Marco’s balls with his hand. Every small movement was sent a jolt down Marco’s spine and he was going crazy with lust. His blood was boiling and his heart beat like a racehorse’s.

He already felt his orgasm building up in his groin and he cried out loudly in anticipation, but Erik grabbed the base of his shaft, stopping him from coming. Marco whined in disappointment and tears welled up in his eyes.

“Not yet.” Erik purred. “I want to feel you inside of me. But I need to prepare myself, first.”

“Okay.” Marco nodded, but his thoughts still weren’t clear. “There’s lube and condoms in the drawer of the nightstand.”

“No, I want to feel _you_ inside of me.” Erik repeated, reemphasizing the sentence. Marco dropped his jaw.

He heard Erik getting up and getting out the bottle of lube. And Marco was totally lost again. He had no idea what was going on or how long it would take Erik to get ready for accepting him. The silence was unbearable and he was ready to break down and cry from his helplessness and the bliss of the whole situation at the same time.

Erik must have sensed his nervousness, because suddenly he started to moan. Marco took it back; the silence was much better than hearing his boyfriend’s moans of pleasure. He wanted to help Erik and do it himself. _He_ wanted to get this sounds out of him. He forgot about the handcuffs and he reached towards the brunette, but all he managed was banging his other hand into the headboard.

“Ouch.” He mumbled, but he couldn’t care about the pain. His manhood was twitching after Erik’s every moan and he feared that the brunette would send him over the edge just with his voice.

“Just a minute, babe.” Erik reassured him and Marco calmed down a little bit. He could wait that much. He tried to take a few deep breaths.

But just when he composed himself, he felt a cold liquid and a soft hand around his dick. Erik straddled him again, guiding Marco’s cock to his entrance. The blonde could feel Erik’s body’s heat and he couldn’t withhold himself any longer. He raised his hips and slipped inside of the younger one.

“Fuck!” Erik cried out. He was taken by surprise and the pain in his voice brought Marco back to reality.

“God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you, Erik! Are you alright?” He pulled back, the ecstasy he had felt just a second earlier gone completely.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just– let me do this, okay?” His breathing was troubled and Marco felt utter guilt. He didn’t want to do this anymore. He only wanted to get free and wrap his arms around Erik, kissing away the pain he had caused.

Erik leaned forward and kissed him. His hand grabbed Marco’s dick again and he got ready for a second attempt. Marco moaned as Erik’s butt cheeks touched his cock’s sensitive head. A tight heat embraced him. He could feel that his boyfriend was tense, probably because of the previous experience, but Erik relaxed soon and started to move up and down on Marco, twisting his hip, to make the blonde’s dart hit his sweet spot.

“Ah!” He cried out, signaling that his efforts were successful. He sped up his movements and Marco could feel another wave washing through his body.

“Erik, I think I will–“ He said, but the brunette cut him short.

“Not yet, try to last a bit longer.” His voice was horse, nothing like what Marco was used to.

Erik moaned and cried out and whimpered, making no secret of how much he was enjoying Marco deep inside of him. His breathing got heavier and Marco knew that he was really close, too.

“I want you to see this.” Erik said suddenly and he reached forward, taking off Marco’s blindfold.

The light hurt the blonde’s eyes, but only for a moment, because the next moment he saw Erik riding him, his whole body covered in sweat, his hair ruffled and his lips moving constantly from the pleasure. His pupils were dilated and filled with lust. That was all that was needed to let Marco jump over the edge. His muscles tensed and he came inside Erik, his semen filling up the brunette’s hole in hot jolts of creamy white pleasure while he savored his ecstasy to the fullest.

Erik didn’t make Marco wait for him, he shot his own load all over their abdomen,clenching around Marco's twitching cock and milking his pleasure from him until Marco had nothing more to give. After the spasms of his climax turned intothe soft waves of the warm afterglow, he bent forward, resting his head on Marco’s chest. He looked ready to fall asleep any moment, but he still got up to release Marco from his bonds. The blonde didn’t waste any time. As soon as his hands were free again, he grabbed Erik’s head and he crushed their lips together in a passionate and brutal kiss. He only let them part when he was out of air.

“I’ll clear us up.” He said, trying to get up, but Erik’s body still was on top of him and the brunette didn’t let him move.

“No, I don’t want you to leave. We should stay like this. I’ll wash the sheets, I promise.” He mumbled, already half-asleep.

Marco smiled at his comment and he tightened his grip around Erik’s waist. He still sat up somehow, only to pull the cover on them and embrace Erik immediately. The brunette was breathing evenly and Marco could feel the fatigue taking over him, too. He closed his eyes and let the darkness take him. The only thing that he could think of was Erik purring _trust me_.


	27. Knock First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it was about time to make Marco embarrassed again, I hope you will like it. Please share your opinion because I'm really not sure if I'm taking this story the right way and your feedback would help me a lot. :-)

Marco awakened to fidgeting with keys. No, it couldn’t be, he must have been still dreaming. No one would come to his place so early, and definitely not with keys. But he wasn’t dreaming, because his front door opened and he heard footsteps approaching. Maybe it was Erik. He might have gotten up earlier and had gone out to buy them breakfast. But then who was sleeping next to him so peacefully? He slowly opened his eyes, and indeed, it was the brunette’s breathing he had heard. But who was in his house, then? A burglar? Hardly, a burglar wouldn’t have had keys. He forced his brain to start working and went over a mental list of who could have keys to his house. He came to the troubling realization the same moment when he heard the stranger’s not so strange voice.

“Marco, darling! Are you up already?” The door to his room opened.

“Shit, Mom!” Marco cried out.

His instant reaction would have been to jump out of bed, but he remembered just in time that they hadn’t put on any underwear after they had made love. Great, his mother chose the least suitable day to pay him a surprise morning visit. In the end, he only sat up and pulled up the duvet to cover himself. They looked at each other, Marco in horror and his mother shocked like never before. To make things worse, Erik woke up to the noise, but apparently ignorant of the circumstances. He automatically sat up and turned to Marco with a huge smile on his face.

“Good morning, love.” He whispered and he leaned forward to kiss the blonde, but Marco stopped him with a jerk of his head in his mother’s way. Erik followed his dreadful gaze and finally realized their unexpected visitor. “Oh.” His face suddenly turned pale and his always present confidence vanished in a split second.

They stayed like this for an endless moment. This couldn’t be happening, Marco thought. He wished the ground would swallow him up. His face was burning and his heart was about to explode in his chest. By his look, neither Erik, nor Marco’s mother was better on it, but it was she who finally found her tongue again.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea that you had um, company.” She stammered. “I’ll be going, then. I’ve brought you some food, I left it in the kitchen.”

“No, wait.” He tried to stop her and explain everything, but she turned around and rushed out of the room and a few seconds later they heard the front door falling shut. Marco hadn’t felt so embarrassed his entire life. Why did these things always happen to him? He waited some solace from Erik, but the brunette only pushed him into an even deeper desperation.

“Do you think she saw the handcuffs?”

“Fuck!” Marco exclaimed as he saw his restrains still hanging from the headboard. “Could this be any worse?”

“Well, if she had come in yesterday evening…” Erik mused.

“Stop it! This isn’t funny at all! Or do you think this was so amusing?” Marco snapped. He climbed out of the bed and walked to his wardrobe to put on some clothes and go after his mother. It was useless, he knew; she must have come with car and now she was probably on her way home, trying to erase the memory of the accident.

“Of course not.” Erik got up too and embraced Marco from behind, apologetically. “But we haven’t done anything wrong. We’re grown up men; we can sleep together if we want to. Or have you regretted the last night?”

“Not at all.” Marco beamed at the pleasant memory. “But we need to explain this to her before she freaks out.”

“I think we’re already late for that.” Erik chuckled. “And I don’t think there’s a way to explain this. Besides, I have to go to work soon.”

“No!” Marco gasped. “You can’t leave me alone in this shit!”

“Okay, I’ll stay here then and you will have an unemployed boyfriend. I don’t think that my presence would help your cause anyway. You should talk to her alone.”

“Fine.” Marco grumbled.

“Um, can I use your bathroom?” Erik asked hesitantly, a cheeky grin on his face. “There’s something sticky on me and I’d like to get rid of it before going to work.”

“Sure.” Marco blushed at the reference to their night. Erik started off but stopped and turned back to the blonde.

“Would you join me?” As Marco looked up, he knew he wouldn’t resist that mischievous smile.

 

Erik had left not much later. He had had to grab a few things from his flat and he had promised Mario that he would spend some time with him, too. For the last days, he had practically moved in with Marco, not that the blonde minded. As soon as the brunette had gone to job, Marco had focused on calming his mother down.

He had wanted to call her first, but he had reasoned that she would wave away his worries and say that it was okay without really meaning it. No, he needed to talk to her in person, there was no other way to deal with this situation, and Marco didn’t like it at all. And as he was standing in front of his parents’ house’s door, he thought it was a very bad idea. He didn’t have any other ones, though, so he knocked. Something his mother should have done, too.

“Oh, Marco!” She opened the door, obviously surprised. She was unable to look his son in the eyes; she stared at her feet instead.

“Can I come in?” Marco asked sheepishly.

“Of course.” She realized that she had been standing in the doorway and she stepped back. Marco entered the house and didn’t waste any time. This whole conversation had been awkward enough already.

“Listen, I want to talk about what happened this morning. I’m sorry that–”

“Oh no, _I_ should apologize. You’re a grown up man and you don’t have to share with me every detail of your private life.” She said, but her accusing tone said something else. She had been very protective of her only son and Marco could see that she thought that actually she expected him to tell her everything. “I just hope that you use protection. Especially if you’re doing these wilder things.” She mumbled, leaving no doubt if she had seen the handcuffs.

“Mom!” Marco snapped. He was wishing for the ground to swallow him again. “This was the first time we tried anything like this with Erik and it was for a deeper purpose.” He explained, ignorant of how lame he sounded.

“Stop, I don’t want to hear about your sex life.” She waved hastily and a silence fell between them. _Well, you shouldn’t have brought it up, then_ , Marco noted silently. “So his name’s Erik?”

“Yes.” Marco nodded.

“How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Um.” Marco hesitated. There was no good answer to this question. If he told the truth, his mother would freak out even more, but lying wouldn’t be a better option, either. “About a month.”

“And you’re already sleeping together?” She exclaimed. Apparently, Marco hadn’t lied big enough.

“Come on, mom, I’m a grown up man!” Marco pouted.

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t make mistakes.”

“Erik is _not_ a mistake!” He stated, surprised by his own vehemence. “Don’t judge him if you haven’t even met him!”

“And when were you going to introduce us to him? Or are you embarrassed of your own parents?” She placed her hands on her hips.

“Of course not.” Marco mumbled. This was getting worse and worse. “Let’s see! He’s in Dortmund today; I’ll fly to Moscow the day after tomorrow, so why don’t you come over to my house when I’m back?”

“Oh, so he’s a pilot, too?” Her face finally lit up.

“No, he’s a flight attendant.”

“I see.” She still smiled but she couldn’t hide her disappointment. Seriously, what was the problem with male flight attendants?

They agreed that they would set a date for the big family dinner, and Marco left his former home with a very sour feeling. Erik had to be at his best if he wanted to please Marco’s mother and make her reconsider her opinion.


	28. Needing an Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a filler but I didn't want to leave you without an update, the next chapter will be more action packed, I promise. :-) Tell me what you think of this chapter or the fic on the whole. I'm interested in your opinion.

“You did what?” Erik obviously wasn’t very happy about the news Marco had told him on the phone. He still was in Dortmund and he wouldn’t be back until late in the night, but the pilot couldn’t have waited with telling him about the planned family dinner.

“I invited them over.” He repeated. “What was I supposed to do?”

“Maybe do it two weeks later? God, your mother will hate me and think of me as a kinky satyr who has perverted her son.”

“Where are you that you can speak like that?” Marco chuckled.

“In a café. But don’t worry, I’m looking cool so no one suspects anything.” Erik explained and Marco could see his smile. “But back to our problem. So your parents will come and see us in a few days?”

“Yes and I don’t understand why you are so anxious. It will be fine. My father doesn’t know anything and Mom won’t bring it up, trust me.”

“Yeah, but still–” Erik drawled. “It will be very uncomfortable for me. I haven’t made the best first expression, I guess.”

“Oh, look at that! Erik Durm feeling uncomfortable. I haven’t thought it could happen.” Marco teased his boyfriend.

“Hey, did I mention how scared you looked like when I took you to see my mother?” Erik snapped.

“Okay, sorry. But I’m serious, there’s nothing to be afraid of. They will like you, don’t worry. I’m their son after all, and I find you adorable and irresistible.”

“Oh, really? Tell me more about it.” Erik sounded suddenly amused.

“No, I think I will spare the details for the night.”

“Yeah, about that–” Marco saw the mental image of Erik biting his lower lip. “You don’t have to wait for me. I’ll go home and I mean our flat with Mario. I’m worried about him.”

“About Mario? Why, is he sick?”

“Well, we could say that.” Erik laughed. “He’s not taking well my absence.”

“Come on, he’s a grown up man!” Marco snorted.

“You don’t know him. He’s more like a child and he’s definitely far from being mature. He has bought a puppy for fuck’s sake! ‘ _So he wouldn’t be alone_ ’, to quote him.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Marco snapped.

“It is, but let’s not talk about Mario. You’ve promised me something special, if I remember correctly.”

Marco stood shocked at his boyfriend’s sudden change of topic. And he really had to question if Erik wasn’t the satyr his mother thought him to be. But after all, they were two young men, full of lust for each other. No wonder they found themselves in bed every time they met. And they would have time to deepen their relationship later, Marco reasoned. But he had forgotten about his promise completely.

“Well, we could go to the cinema…” He drawled. He had to say something.

“That’s it?” Erik sighed, not making a secret of his disappointment. “I come up with the smartest idea ever and you want to get into my pants with a movie?”

“No, that was just the beginning. After that I could take you to a dinner and–”

“You’re making this up on the run, aren’t you?” Erik stated dryly.

“Yes. I’m sorry.” Marco admitted.

“It’s okay. A movie sounds great. As long as you don’t want me to watch Titanic.”

“We’re agreed, then.” Marco laughed. “When will you come over?”

“Early in the afternoon. Or we could meet in the cinema.”

“I don’t think I can do without you that long.”

“Well, you must.” Erik snickered. “But I have to go now. I’ll call you when I’m home, love.”

“Bye.” Marco said, but Erik had already hung up.

He was in deep trouble. Erik deserved a special surprise after what he had done for Marco, but the blonde wasn’t the one who could think about anything kinky. Their passionate night was the first time he had tried something wilder and he was the most surprised that he had actually liked it. And now he was supposed to come up with something similar to please Erik. It wasn’t a problem he could solve with a Google search and he was already out of ideas. There was only one person that could help him. So he grabbed his coat and went to the Snug.

“Here comes the man who has stolen my friend from me.” Mario greeted him.

“Could you keep it down?” Marco hushed him, looking around scared. The place was nearly empty but it still didn’t mean that the brunette could blurt out his still secret relationship.

“And what do you think, which gay couple will despise you?”

“Fair enough.” Marco sighed.

“The usual?” Mario asked with a huge grin.

“Not this time. I need your help.”

“I’m all ears.” The barman looked at him bored.

“So I don’t know how much Erik told you about our relationship, but you know, he made me try something wilder in bed.”

“I’ve heard enough already.” Mario waved animatedly, but that didn’t stop the blonde.

“The thing is that I feel like I should thank him with another surprise but I have no idea what I should do. And you must know him better. You know what he would be up to–” Marco blushed.

“Marco, stop this, it’s embarrassing.” Mario cut him short. “Erik loves you for the man you are, you shouldn’t change. And maybe he would be more impressed by something not connected to your bedroom. Just think about what he likes. It should be original; I can’t help you with it.”

Marco looked back at the barman stunned. The young brunette was right again and he already had an idea that could work.


	29. An Evening at the Movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter, I hope you like it. Please share your opinion, it will keep me motivated and it will help me to make this story as likable to you as possible. :-)

Marco had been anxious ever since he had gotten Erik’s message. _Change of the plan. Come to my place before the movie._ He had hoped that the brunette had only meant a change in the plan of going to the cinema and not a complete change of the plan for their evening. He didn’t know for sure though and now he was standing in front of the younger one’s door and knocked weakly. The first answer he got was a dog’s barking. Marco instantly checked the name tag next to the door, but he was in the right place. To reassure him, Erik called out from inside, inviting him in.

Marco opened the door and entered. Only then he remembered Mario’s newest friend who turned out to be a spaniel. He was sitting on the floor, tightly held by Erik but that didn’t stop him from barking at the ‘intruder’.

“Don’t worry, he won’t bite you. He’s only brave from a certain distance.” Erik reassured him.

He looked up at Marco smiling and the blonde had to burst out laughing at the scene. His boyfriend raised an eyebrow, waiting for some explanation but it took Marco a few seconds to calm down and be able to form and utter a whole sentence.

“You two have the same eyes.” He sputtered between two waves of laughter.

Erik shot him a cutting glance which ironically made his features even nicer and he resembled the puppy even more. He wasn’t really hurt, Marco could see, but Erik still let go of the dog who suddenly charged at Marco, only to stop a meter away from him and bark at him louder than before.

“Charlie, stop!” Mario snapped as he stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. His dog didn’t seem to listen to him, though. “Hi, Marco! I didn’t hear you come in. We can go out in a minute, I just put on some clothes.”

He trod inside his room and his puppy followed him. Marco followed him with his eyes only to turn to Erik as soon as Mario had disappeared behind his door. Erik bit on his lower lip and avoided Marco’s eyes.

“Yes, about that.” He drawled. “Mario was very sad when I told him we were going into the cinema. He wanted to come with us and I couldn’t say no.”

“That’s great!” Marco groused.

“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But I feel so sorry for him. He’s alone and he’s not used to it.” Erik apologized. “I told him you wouldn’t mind. And he has a car.”

He looked at Marco with the same pleading eyes that must have gotten Charlie his daily meals. And Marco couldn’t say no to them. Mario and Erik were experts on manipulating others and they would get total control over Marco’s life before he knew it if he wasn’t careful enough.

“I’m ready!” Mario returned. He hadn’t only managed to put on clothes that suited him very well, but he had also sprayed a half can of deodorant on him. “Listen, I don’t want to horn in on our evening, but could we stop and get some dinner first? I’m really hungry!”

_Well, you’re a bit late if you don’t want to horn in on our evening_ , Marco noted to himself but he kept silent.

“You can buy something in the cinema.” Erik hurried to say before his boyfriend could lose his temper.

“And what about Charlie? Joining us, too?” Marco asked mockingly.

“Oh no, he’s staying at the neighbor. She has two kids who want to have a dog. It’s a win-win situation. They take care of my little boy when I’m not at home and they make him tired so I don’t have to play with him all the time.”

“Fantastic!” Marco exclaimed in fake enthusiasm. “But why do you have a dog in the first place if you don’t want to play with it?”

“Well, you don’t know what it feels like to come home into an empty flat!” Mario snapped huffily. He picked up Charlie and marched out of the apartment, his head held high. _I know it very well,_ Marco thought.

“Be nice to him, Marco.” Erik mumbled as he passed by Marco. He stopped for a second and gave the blonde a chaste peck. Marco sighed; this was going to be a long evening.

 

 

 

“So what shall we watch?” Erik asked as they were standing in front of the counter, checking the film list.

“Wait, you haven’t chosen a movie?” Mario asked. “This will be interesting, then.”

“We can agree easily, alright?” Marco snapped back. He looked at the screen and picked the first title he saw. “What about this Jupiter Ascending?”

“Nah, don’t really think so.” Erik answered, accompanied by Mario’s snickering.

“American Sniper?”

“I don’t like blood.” _Come on, Erik, let’s prove this prick what a wonderful couple we are_.

“Hunger Games?” Marco asked in his final desperation.

“Hunger games is what’s going on in my stomach.” Mario grumbled.

“Okay, I’m done with you two! Pick a film finally, I don’t care what!” Marco cried out and started off to the restroom. But someone grabbed his arm before he could reach it.

“Are you mad at me, love?” Erik asked sheepishly.

“Why would I? Because I have to share you with your roommate? No, I’m flattered!” Marco snapped.

“What? You don’t have to share me with Mario.”

“Oh, really? Because so far we’ve done exactly what he wanted!”

“Is this about the movie? We can watch what you want if it is such a big problem.”

“It’s not a problem!” Marco yelled. His outburst drew a few curious glances their way, so he kept his voice down. “But it would have been nice if you had showed him that we have a harmonious relationship in which choosing a movie is not an issue.”

“Why would I do that if choosing a movie _is_ an issue?” Erik asked puzzled.

“Forget it.” Marco sighed.

“No. Listen, Marco. I love you but that doesn’t mean that we have to agree all the time. I have friends and I need to spend time with them, too.”

“Yes, I know. I’m sorry. I just didn’t plan our evening like this. It was supposed to be _ours_.”

“Hey guys, I’ve got us tickets for Birdman, I hope it’s okay.” Mario appeared next to them and flung an arm around their shoulders.

“Mario, we’re having a private conversation!” Erik snapped at him annoyed.

“Oh, sorry.” The short one retreated and made his way to the snack counter.

“Are we okay?” Erik turned back to Marco.

“Yes we are.” The blonde nodded and smiled at his boyfriend.

 

 

 

“It wasn’t that bad. I was expecting something better, but it was enjoyable.” Mario shared his critical remarks after the film had ended.

Marco was ready to explode. Mario had come with them, he could do with it. He had picked the movie for them, that was still okay. Marco could forgive him even for his crunching in the blonde’s ear the whole time. But midway through the film, he had decided that his seat was broken and he had grumbled about it so much that Marco had finally sprung up and they had changed seats, making Mario sit in the middle. Marco had been forced to sit away from his boyfriend, unable to hold his hand on their own date.

“Where to now?” Mario asked with his unwearying vitality.

“I’d be grateful if you could take me home.” Marco said. His head was about to explode.

“Why don’t you come to our place? You can sleep in my bed, there’s enough place for both of us.” Erik winked at him.

“I’m flying to Moscow tomorrow and I have to get up early, well-rested.” Marco noted and Erik dropped his jaw as if he had just remembered about Marco’s flight. Maybe that was the case indeed. He nodded and they walked to Mario’s car.

They didn’t speak on their drive and as soon as Mario stopped, Marco opened the door and got out, his actions followed by Erik. The brunette walked next to him but only started to speak when Marco was opening his door.

“I’m sorry. I know you wanted to spend some time with me before you fly off.” He mumbled.

“It’s a bit too late to realize that.” Marco snorted.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“At least I hope you won’t forget about the family dinner.”

“Don’t worry, there’s no way I will forget about _that_!” Erik laughed.

“But it can’t stay like this, Erik. Don’t get me wrong, I like Mario, but we can’t take him with us all the time out of pity.”

“I know. Any ideas?”

“Loads. But most of them include killing him.”

“Oh, come on.” Erik laughed again. “I admit, he’s not the quietest third wheel, but he’s a good guy.”

“Okay, we need to figure out something. But only tomorrow.” Marco yawned. “Good night, babe, sleep well!”

“Good night!” Erik whispered and they parted with a kiss.


	30. Good News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only a filler and it hasn't been proofread yet, so please excuse any mistakes and typos. I'll check it tomorrow. I hope you will like it, please share your opinion and show everyone how wonderful readers you are. :-)

Marco had had a horrible night. He hadn’t fallen asleep for a long time because he had kept thinking about a way to eliminate Mario from Erik’s and his relationship. And when he had finally dozed off, he had startled awake from a terrible nightmare. It had been about their upcoming big family dinner. In the middle of their meal, his mother had stood up and had stabbed her fork into Erik’s hand. He had wanted to help his boyfriend, but he had been handcuffed to his chair and couldn’t move. He hadn’t even tried to solve this dream.

He got up at dawn, two hours before Thomas would pick him up. He took a cold shower and drank three cups of coffee, but it didn’t help at all. At least he wouldn’t have any problems with adjusting to the time zone in Moscow. That is, if they got there and he didn’t fall asleep mid-flight.

A lifetime seemed to have passed before Thomas finally rang him up. He left his house yawning. The chilly morning air freshened him up just a little bit, but he still felt washed out.

“God, you look awful!” Thomas greeted him as he slumped down in the seat next to the other blonde. “Exhausting night with Erik?”

Marco still couldn’t think normally, otherwise he would have retorted with a witty remark, but this time he only grumbled. He then looked into the rearview mirror to check out his looks, but he saw another man’s face there.

“Julian! What are you doing here?” He was startled awake immediately.

“Thomas has promised me to drive me to work.” The younger one stammered.

Marco turned to his co-pilot who smiled very satisfied with himself, but he didn’t take his eyes off the road. Marco could feel the anger building up in his body and it was a question of seconds before it erupted.

“And you discuss my personal life in front of him?” He asked his friend accusingly.

“Calm down, he would be a fool if he didn’t know about you two already.”

“Yes, Marco, I’m cool with it.” Julian said even though no one was really interested in his opinion.

“That’s not the point! Will you spill the beans in front of others, too? I thought I could trust you.”

“You can, Marco. But there’s nothing wrong with having a few more allies, right? You’re making a too big deal out of this relationship. You haven’t broken any ethical guides and I checked it. You are free to love anyone you want.”

Marco opened his mouth to say something to that, but Thomas’ thoughtfulness had surprised him. In the end, he only mumbled a thanks and they kept silent for the rest of their drive.

At the airport, they went through all the necessary procedures. There were no revisions waiting for them, so they had a few free minutes before they could board the plane. Marco and Thomas went to grab a coffee. And as they passed Julian on their way, Marco had found the solution for his Mario-problem.

“Thomas, how good connections do you have at human resources?” Marco asked as they were sipping their coffee.

“That depends. Why?”

“Could they slip in a paper to someone’s file? A paper that probably won’t be checked.”

“I guess.” Thomas drawled. “What exactly are we talking about?”

“That shouldn’t concern you for now.” Marco said.

 

 

 

They had had a calm flight what Marco hadn’t liked at all, because his eyes had threatened to fall shut any moment. In the end, he had let Julian take over his duties. It hadn’t really been allowed, but considering his fatigue, the plane had still been in better hands with Julian. They had flown with autopilot practically the whole way and Marco had sat back into his seat before landing and thanks to his old reflexes they had had a smooth touchdown.

Marco couldn’t have waited until they were finally in the hotel. He didn’t have to share his room with anyone and he was grateful for it. He lay down on his bed, ready to fall asleep, but his brain decided to start to work the very next moment. He had unfinished business and he knew he would stay awake unless he finished it.

He hauled himself off the bed and called Julian over. The young pilot knocked on his door only a minute later and he entered shyly. His face was full of puzzlement. He had no idea what Marco wanted to talk about and he looked for the slightest sign that would tell him whether he should sit down or flee.

“Don’t worry, Julian. I’m not mad at you.” Marco smiled, but it felt unnatural even to him. The questions he had on his mind weren’t comfortable at all. But Julian seemed to calm down a bit and he sat down in the room’s old armchair.

“Why do you need me?”

“Okay. This will be a very personal question and I don’t want you to freak out.” Marco started sheepishly. “Anne told me this and I want to be sure before I ask you something even more uncomfortable.” He took a deep breath before he blurted out the question that would decide the fate of his plan. “Are you gay?”

“Wait, there will be a more uncomfortable question?” Julian burst out laughing but he stopped when he saw that the blonde didn’t find the situation funny at all. “Yes, I am.”

“Good.” Marco sighed relieved and a bit satisfied. “And do you have a boyfriend?”

“Not right now.”

“And would you like to have one?”

“I thought that you and Erik were together.” Julian stammered.

“Oh, I’m not talking about me!” Marco snapped. “Erik has a good friend and he has been getting on my nerves lately. He could definitely use a relationship.”

“Um, I don’t know…” Julian drawled.

“You don’t have to. But would you meet him at least?” Marco was too tired to notice how lame and desperate he sounded.

“Yeah, sure.” Julian nodded, embarrassed.

“Great!” Marco smiled. “And I think we can prevent Anne’s further threats.”

“Really? How?” Julian’s eyes lit up.

“I’ll tell you after you met Mario.” Marco smirked. “The guy I’ve talked about.” He added, seeing Julian’s clueless face.

“Okay, I’ll meet him as soon as possible, then.” Julian laughed. He got up and left the room.

The moment he closed the door behind him, Marco’s phone started to ring.

“Hello?” He answered it annoyed. He wanted to sleep.

“Am I interrupting something?” Erik asked startled by Marco’s reaction.

“God, no! I’m sorry. I’m just tired.” Marco apologized.

“I see. But I have great news, Marco. I’ve got an extra day-off! So the day after tomorrow I’m all yours!”

“That’s great!” Marco cheered with his boyfriend. “I’ve got some good news, too. I might have found a way to get rid of Mario.”

“Marco!” Erik snapped. He didn’t like Marco’s choice of words.

“I’m sorry, you know what I meant.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“Julian. We will get them together.” Marco said satisfied with his genius.

“That’s dumb.” Erik chuckled. “But it could actually work.”

“It better. One more date with Mario and you’ll have to come and visit me in a state prison.”

“Don’t worry; he won’t disturb us tomorrow or the day after.”

“Excellent! At least you can get your surprise from me, then.”

“What are you planning, Marco?”

“You will see. You don’t have to wait much longer.”


	31. A Thoughtful Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I wanted to write about the dinner already but this little scene kept growing and I liked it so I ended up with this. Please, tell me what you think about it. Your feedback is appreciated and I'm lost without it. :-)

Marco’s stomach clenched as soon as he left the airport terminal. He had slept like a log during the night and he had managed to forget about the dinner while working but reality hit him suddenly when he was in Frankfurt again. He was going to have a long day and there was only one person who could make it easier–

And that person was standing in the parking lot, beaming at Marco. The pilot had no idea what Erik was doing there. Maybe he had to fill in for someone again? But why would he smile, then? He hurried up and practically ran to the brunette.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Waiting to pick you up and drive you home.” Erik said the simple explanation.

“But isn’t this Mario’s car? And since when do you have a license?”

“This _is_ Mario’s car and I’ve had a license ever since I was eighteen. We can’t all afford to fly around whenever and wherever we fancy it, can we?” He smirked. “I was out shopping and I thought I would–”

“Wait, wait, wait! You were shopping?” Marco asked stunned.

“Yes.” Erik nodded, not understanding the blonde’s surprise. “I’ve found your shopping list and I wanted to help with the preparations. By the way, your handwriting is really ugly.”

“You were in my house?” Erik’s every answer made Marco even more shocked. He had had no idea that their relationship had been so progressed that Erik would dare to go to his place when he wasn’t at home. He didn’t really mind it, he had nothing to hide from the brunette, but he still found it strange.

“Yes. And I cleaned up a bit.”

“Stop it!” Marco snapped and checked his watch. “It’s nine in the morning. Do you want to tell me that you’ve cleaned up my house _and_ bought everything for the evening already?”

“I couldn’t sleep, Marco!” Erik sighed. “I’ve been up since three and I’ve been thinking about ways to impress your mother. I couldn’t sleep and Mario didn’t like my rummaging in our flat so I had to go somewhere. He doesn’t really know that I borrowed his car but I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Okay Erik, I need some time to digest this.” Marco snickered. “You really didn’t have to. Mamma will like you, don’t worry.”

“Yes, it’s easy for you. My mom hasn’t seen you naked in the bed with me.” Erik groused. “Shall we go?”

The drive didn’t take long. Marco wanted to live close to the airport because getting to job in time with public transport wasn’t that easy. His father had always told him to enter a driving school and buy a car but he wouldn’t be persuaded. Driving hadn’t fascinated him as much as flying and he had always managed to get everywhere he wanted so he saw no point in going through the trouble of getting a license.

Erik parked in Marco’s driveway and didn’t question why the pilot had a driveway in the first place, although the blonde could see the unspoken question in his eyes. Marco got out and started off towards his house but the brunette’s throat clearing stopped him. He turned around questioningly and saw the same expression on Erik’s face.

“Aren’t you going to give me a hand with carrying the shopping inside?”

Marco burst out laughing. Erik had taken total control over his life already and they had known each other for not much more than a week. He didn’t dare to think about what was awaiting him, but he was sure it would be sweet and something he had always dreamed about.

Erik opened the trunk while Marco walked back to the car. There were six full bags there and Marco looked disbelievingly at his boyfriend.

“Did you invite others, too? Because we will never eat this much.”

“I’ve panicked, okay?” Erik snapped. “And you didn’t write any instructions on the amount.”

“Yes because _I_ wanted to do the shopping.” Marco retorted. He liked cooking and he wanted to work with the best ingredients.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I was trying to help.” Erik pouted. “Here, get this first.” He put a bag into Marco’s hands and as he handed it to him, Marco heard the sounds of bottles clacking together. He looked inside the bag and almost fainted.

“What the hell, Erik?”

“That was the best idea I’ve come up with to impress your folks.” The younger one shrugged.

“Getting them drunk?”

“No. I mused what I could do that I could use in my favor. And then I realized that I was a qualified barman. So I will mix some cocktails for the evening.” He explained, obviously satisfied with his idea. “And if that doesn’t work, I’ll get them drunk.” He added and Marco burst out laughing.

He didn’t say anything just went inside the house. If what Erik had done was just ‘clearing up a bit’ to him, Marco didn’t want to think about what a spring clean included in the brunette’s opinion. Marco wasn’t a tidy person, mostly because he lived alone and the things he left all around in the house didn’t bother him at all. But he saw immediately that he would have a harder time with Erik.

Unpacking Erik’s shopping took them almost an hour. The younger one chose a very efficient way to get the best of everything; namely, he had bought at least four of everything on Marco’s list. He couldn’t be mad at Erik, though. Quite the contrary, he was amused by the brunette’s ignorance. Erik might have been an expert on relationships, but he had no idea about leading a life on his own. All the better, they would have a lot to learn from each other.

First, Marco prepared a quick lunch for them before they started the hard work. Erik got completely out of control. He went over every room, controlling the chores he would have to do and there was no way to stop him. At least he left Marco out of it and the blonde was very grateful. He was entrusted with the dinner and spent his whole afternoon in the kitchen. Not because he had so much to do, but because he was afraid to leave the room, fearing that Erik would immediately snap at him and find him something to do.

By the time he was finished with the meal, Erik had vacuum-cleaned the house thrice and had done the dusting as many times. He then joined Marco in the kitchen and prepared three different cocktails for everyone, tasting the ingredients in the process, only to ‘loosen up’ as he had pointed out.

Half an hour before his parents were set to arrive, everything was ready and Marco had to admit that they had done a wonderful job. Everything in his house was shining, the dinner would be delicious and he would stand in front of his parents proud of his boyfriend.


	32. Meet the Reuses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with the family dinner. :-) I hope you will like it. I want to thank you for reading my story that keeps growing and growing, I'd like you to stay with me and the boys on this journey.

Marco’s parents arrived on time, right at six o’clock. Marco and Erik had been sitting on the blonde’s couch and the pilot had been stroking Erik’s hair with soothing movements to calm his boyfriend down and Erik had almost gotten asleep. But the sound of the doorbell startled him fully awake and he sprung up immediately.

“They are here.” He announced the obvious. “What should I do? Should I go and open the door with you or do you want me to wait here and you will introduce me later?”

“First of all, calm down.” Marco snickered. He stood up and gave Erik a reassuring peck before he grabbed his hand and pulled him with him to the front door. He gave his hand a squeeze before he reached forward with his other hand and opened the door.

“Hello, come on in!” He smiled at his parents and they entered the house. “I’d like you to meet Erik.” He decided that the sooner they got the introduction over with the better. “Erik, this is my father, Thomas. And my mother, Manuela.”

Erik shook hands with Marco’s father but avoided his mother’s gaze and only nodded towards her. The situation got awkward sooner than Marco would have thought and they had just met. For a moment he asked himself what was coming, but he dispelled his doubts quickly. His parents had always been cool about his private life.

“Is that your car in the driveway?” Marco’s father tried to start a conversation.

“No, it’s one of my friend’s, but we both use it. Should I park somewhere else?” Erik asked shyly, fearing that he had already managed to offend Marco’s dad simply by occupying the parking place on the blonde’s yard.

“No, don’t worry about that. I just hope that Marco doesn’t keep you only so you can drive him wherever he wants to go.”

“Thomas!” Marco’s mother snapped at her husband. “Of course he doesn’t keep him only for that!”

Another awkward silence fell between them and everyone in the room thought about the morning accident from a few days earlier apart from Marco’s father. He realized that he was missing something but didn’t ask anything and the blonde was very grateful for that.

“Let’s go to the dining room before the food gets cold.” Marco suggested and they all walked to the table and sat down. Marco went to the kitchen, despite Erik’s eyes screaming ‘Don’t leave me alone with these strangers’. Marco had prepared almost everything earlier so he wasn’t away for so long and when he returned, it seemed that Erik had started a chat with his parents who were sipping his cocktails.

“So that’s how I ended up in a barman school.” He finished his explanation.

“And what about being a pilot? Why hasn’t that come through? Did you fail the tests?” Marco’s mother inquired but she immediately regretted her questions after her son’s disapproving glance.

“No, it was my eyes. They are not good enough. But I still go and fly on simulators from now and then. That’s what has remained for me.” Erik sighed with apparent sorrow and that finally made Marco’s mother’s face soften.

“Okay, let’s eat.” Marco put down the huge tray with their dinner and sat down next to Erik. He placed his hand on the younger one’s thigh and Erik blushed because of the touch.

“Wow, darling, this is delicious!” Marco’s mother smiled at her son. “And I must say that your house looks much nicer than the last time we were here. I see that you’ve picked up the useful habit of tidying up.”

“Actually, Erik did all that.” Marco admitted. “My responsibility was the dinner and nothing more.”

“You both did a wonderful job, then.” Thomas winked at Marco and nudged his wife with his elbow. “Right, Manuela?”

“Oh, yes, indeed.” She stammered. She still hadn’t recovered from the shock that her son had found someone who cleaned up the house for him. Erik was collecting a few good points, it seemed.

And he only became more and more sympathetic during the dinner. He saw that he was making progress and he loosened up. He found his tongue and led a discussion with Marco’s father about cars. The other two people present lost their interest very quickly and looked at each other bored. They didn’t say a word; they only talked with their eyes. There was a special connection between Marco and his mother and now the blonde wanted to use it to further Erik’s cause, but his mother reassured him quickly that there was no need for it. Erik had conquered her heart as quickly as he had done so with Marco’s.

After the dinner Marco suggested they went out and sat down on the terrace. They grabbed their glasses in one hand, their chairs in the other and walked outside. Okay, Marco really needed to buy some more chairs for his visitors.

“I must say guys; I haven’t had such a great time for a long time.” Marco’s father smiled at them and Marco grabbed Erik’s hands satisfied. “We should repeat it at our place. You know, the girls rarely visit us because whenever they do, your mother criticizes them.”

“That’s not true!” Manuela snapped but there was no real anger in her voice. She knew that her husband was only kidding.

“We’d love to.” Erik blurted out, much to Marco’s surprise. But thinking of it, the brunette maybe was glad that he had found a father figure in his environment.

They kept talking while they slowly drank their cocktails and when it was time to leave, Marco escorted his parents to their car. His heart was beating in his throat because he knew his mother wouldn’t leave without a final evaluation.

“So, did you like him?”

“Yes, he’s a lovely boy.” Marco’s mother smiled at him. “But are you sure he’s not using any drugs?”

“Manuela!”

“I’m sorry, Thomas, but he looked pretty high and hyperactive the whole evening.”

“No.” Marco giggled. “He just wanted to make a good impression.”

“And he did.” Marco’s father hurried to reassure him. “Don’t listen to her; she’s had a bit more cocktail than she should have. He’s a fine guy what I never doubted. I knew you had a good taste.”

“Well, I had the best example to learn from.” Marco shrugged and he hugged his parents before they got into their car and drove away. Marco returned to his house where Erik was waiting for him impatiently.

“So, how was I? Did they like me? Tell me that they don’t hate me! And what did your mother say? I hope she didn’t bring up you know what. And–”

“Calm down, Erik.” Marco embraced him laughing. “They _adore_ you. Welcome to the Reus family. We don’t have any malicious aunts but I think you will like us.”

“Hey!” Erik punched Marco in the gut playfully. “Listen, why don’t we go out and celebrate in the Smug? I need to bring back Mario’s car to him anyway.”


	33. High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, Marco's surprise. I hope you will enjoy it as much as the guys did. :-) And please share your opinion, I'm so curious about it and your feedback is really precious to me. If you have any suggestions for the next chapters, don't hold them back. :-)
> 
> P.S.: It hasn't been proofread yet, so please excuse any errors and mistakes.

Marco was startled awake by his alarm clock exactly at six o’clock. He stretched himself and waited for a few seconds for his senses to come back completely. He stopped the alarm clock and turned to the curled up figure of Erik to his other side. The brunette snorted peacefully and Marco was amazed. There was no way he could have remained undisturbed by the loud sound of the alarm clock. But then, they had stayed in the Smug longer than they had planned.

“Erik, darling, wake up!” He shook his shoulder gently and Erik tried to pull away from the unpleasant touch grumbling.

“Marco, it’s the middle of the night!”

“No, it’s six o’clock and we have to get up.” Marco snickered.

“Why? We aren’t working today and after last night I don’t want to do anything apart from sleeping.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have danced the whole night with random guys.”

“Hey! I asked you to dance with me!” Erik retorted defensively.

“Oh, no!” Marco chuckled. “You might be an awesome boyfriend but you won’t make Marco Reus dance. Not in this life!”

“Give me some time to come up with an appropriate comeback line.” Erik muttered; his eyes were still shut.

“Come on, love. We must get up for my surprise.”

“Marco, I’m totally exhausted…” Erik pouted. “I’m too tired to care about your surprise right now.”

His words hit Marco in the heart. He looked at his boyfriend stunned and horrified. Erik must have realized what he had said because his eyes opened suddenly and he sat up at the same moment. He noticed Marco’s looks and concern sat on his face.

“Marco, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” He reached out for the blonde’s hand. He grabbed it and he bent down to place an apologizing kiss on the back of it. “Of course I’m excited about your surprise.”

“You should get ready, then. You can sleep in the car.” Marco managed a faint smile.

“Car? Where are we going? And who will drive us there?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?” Marc leaned closer to Erik and purred the words, their lips almost touching, but before Erik could have pressed them together, Marco got up and pulled Erik with him to the bathroom.

 

 

 

They finished their breakfast just in time. As Erik sipped the final drops of his extra-strong morning coffee, Marco’s doorbell rang and the blonde stood up to answer it. He returned with a brunette by his side. He was almost shorter by a head than Marco and he looked really comfortable in the blonde’s house. It certainly wasn’t the first time he had been there.

“Erik, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Marcel. Marcel, this is my boyfriend, Erik.” Marco introduced them briefly and he ran to the bedroom as if he had forgotten something there. But he wasn’t away for too long; Erik and Marcel had only shaken their hands and greeted each other when Marco returned. It almost felt as if he didn’t want them to talk.

“Can we go?” He asked, but it wasn’t meant as a question at all.

They put on their shoes and walked outside. The sun was already up but it was still chilly and Erik shivered from the cold. Marco pulled him close and the younger one snuggled gratefully to the warm body of his boyfriend. Marcel had an old car but it looked well taken care of. He unlocked the car and to Erik’s surprise, Marco opened the back door and sat with him on the backseat.

“Okay. Marcel will drive us somewhere and I want it to be a real surprise for you, so I’d like you to wear this.” Marco explained, putting the same blindfold Erik had used on him in the younger one’s hand.

Erik chuckled but he didn’t object. He put the soft material on his eyes. It was an unusual feeling. His eyes were open but he didn’t see a thing. Marco must have sensed his distress, because he flung an arm around Erik’s waist and he pulled him closer.

“We can go, Marcel.” Marco gave the instruction and Erik felt the car slowly drove off.

He tried to keep track of their direction, but after a few turns it became impossible so he closed his eyes instead and placed his head on Marco’s shoulder. A minute later he was sleeping peacefully.

 

 

 

He didn’t know how long they had been traveling; Marco woke him up only when they arrived at their destination whatever that was. Marco helped him get out of the car but didn’t remove his blindfolds. They slowly floundered for a few more minutes before Marco finally asked him to stop. Erik was really anxious by now; he had no idea what Marco had planned but it had to be something truly special. He heard his boyfriend walk behind him and remove his blindfold suddenly. The sudden light hurt Erik’s eyes for a second but the next moment he saw clearly again.

Only a few strides from them, a plane rested peacefully on the concrete floor of a hangar.

“What is this?” Erik turned around, his heart beating in his throat.

“A plane. We will fly a little bit. Just the two of us.” Marco explained tenderly, proud of his plan.

“Great.” Erik feigned some enthusiasm.

He wasn’t that raptured by the surprise. He was expecting something– bigger. After all, flying was their job so what was the big deal about going on a pleasure flight? Marco didn’t seem to notice the dishonest reaction. He grabbed Erik’s hand and pulled him two the plane.

It was a small two-person aircraft with a long cabin so the two passengers sat behind each other. Marco let Erik sit in the first seat and he crawled in behind him.

“Fasten the seat belt.” The blonde warned Erik, but it was needless. He had already done so.

The next moment, the window roof of the cabin closed and Marco started the engine. He waited for the propellers to gain speed and he hit the pedal. The plane started to move painfully slowly.

They left the hangar and Erik’s heart missed a beat. He realized what was so special about this flight. They were out from the city, on the edge of a forest, on a small airport.

“Requesting clearance for take-off!” Erik heard Marco’s voice from the radio.

“Okay, Marco. You’ve got an hour. We need the plane back after that. In one piece!” Marcel answered very authoritatively.

“Got it, Marcel!” Marco snickered and he drove the plane to the runway.

Erik leaned back in his seat. He couldn’t wait for their take-off and to finally be with Marco up in the air, over the world, not disturbed by anyone. With the plane, his heart sped up as well and when they lifted off the ground, his blood was full of adrenaline.

They gained altitude very quickly and before Erik knew it, they were already very high and the huge trees he had seen a few seconds earlier seemed no bigger than tufts. And the view was breathtaking. The Sun was far from its zenith and it painted the whole ground in its morning yellow light. Everything was green apart from the small fog that must have covered the Main.

“Everything alright?” Marco asked but he was still focused on flying. Erik realized that he hadn’t said anything for a very long time.

“Yes. Marco, this is beautiful!”

“I’m glad you like it.” The blonde beamed, seeing his boyfriend’s joy. “And I think I can make you happier. Are you ready?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just look in front of you.” Marco said and Erik did so. He had no idea what he was supposed to see exactly. It was the usual dashboard all small planes like this one had.

“What-”

“I will let go of the yoke and after that you’re in charge.” Marco said simply and Erik’s heart almost exploded.

“What? Marco, I don’t have a license! You will get into trouble! And I haven’t flown a plane for a very long time!”

“Marcel runs this airport and there will be no record of our visit here. And I’m right behind you. If anything goes wrong, I will set it right, don’t worry. I believe in you, you will do fine. Now grab your yoke. You know what all the instruments display, right?”

Erik was utterly impressed. Marco had thought everything through only for him. He still loved flying more than anything and now that he could finally fly on his own, he was so happy that he almost backed out. He wanted nothing more than embrace Marco but he forced himself to turn to the dashboard and he scanned through the various displays. They all seemed familiar to him so he nodded.

“Good.” Marco said. “Now put your hands on the yoke. I will activate your controls but will keep flying the plane for a moment, just to let you get a feel for it, okay?”

Erik nodded again and the next moment a green light shone up in the middle of his yoke. The control gear started to tremble in his hands.

“Okay.” Marco said after a minute. “I will let you fly from now on. Just relax, you can do it.”

The vibrations got stronger, signaling that Marco had let go of his yoke. Erik held his firmer now but the plane started to shake uncontrollably nonetheless and a sudden gust of wind shoved them to the right, almost turning them upside down. Erik automatically turned the yoke to the right instead of fighting the wind and the plane started to turn on its side, but Marco was quick to react. He grabbed his own yoke and counter maneuvered Erik. The plane slowly settled again.

“Relax.” He said to the brunette. “Try again.”

Erik took a deep breath and this time he managed to keep the plane on its course. The feeling of security Marco’s presence meant to him calmed down his nerves. They flew forward for some time but then the blonde told him to turn back so they remained in the airport’s airspace.

Erik got anxious again but his practice on simulators showed to be valuable and his maneuver was almost completely textbook-like.

Time was passing rapidly even though they were just circling around the airport, seeing the same things over and over again. Being in charge and flying a plane was so liberating to Erik. It was everything he had ever wished for and it had come true because of the most wonderful man Erik could wish for.

“We should land soon.” Marco said before Erik could start to enjoy the flight fully.

“No, just one more circle, please.” Erik pouted like a peevish child.

“I’m sorry Erik, but Marcel has to get ready this plane for his student. I will land the plane but you should still hold your yoke to get a feel for next time.”

“Next time?” Erik spun around and he was glad that Marco had already turned off his controls, otherwise he would have flown the plane straight into the forest.

“Yes, Marcel will teach you. I mean, if you want it…”

“Of course I want it!” Erik cheered. Tears welled up in his eyes and he could not wait until they were finally back on the ground so he could embrace his love.

He didn’t have to wait long. Marco landed with great expertise and they had a smooth touchdown that Erik hadn’t thought possible with such a plane. Marco drove back to the hangar and stopped the engine. The next moment, Marcel appeared, rubbing his oil-stained hands with an old rag. He fastened the gears while Marco got out.

Erik jumped out from the plane and with his next move he jumped straight into Marco’s arms, pressing their lips together, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. When they parted they were both beaming from joy and they turned to Marcel to thank him for this opportunity. Erik couldn’t help it, but his eyes wondered down the young man’s body.

“Ahem.” Marco cleared his throat and Marcel burst out laughing.

“Don’t worry, Marco, I won’t make a move on your sweetheart.”

“I’m not the one I’m worried about.” Marco smiled and Erik blushed as if he had been caught doing a mischief.

“Sorry.” He snickered sheepishly.

“I’ve got a small room upstairs that you can lock if you want some privacy.” Marcel winked at Marco.

“Thanks.” Marco chuckled.

“I’ve got a lesson soon, but wait for me until I’m back.” He turned to Erik. “We can agree on the starting date of your course. And I’ll drive you back into the city, then.”

“Thanks again, Marcel.” Marco said and he pulled Erik after him out of the hangar.

They hurried to the main building and started up the stairs but Erik suddenly stopped and Marco looked back at him questioningly.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?”

“No, it’s not that. But are you sure that Marcel will teach me out of benevolence? Pilot training isn’t that cheap.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Marco said.

“But what’s the point if I won’t get a license?” Erik asked, doubts washing over his face.

“If you can drive a car, you should get a private license. I know it’s not what you want, but–”

“ _You_ are all I want!” Erik cut him short and he closed the distance between them.


	34. Saying Thank You the Erik Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another explicit scene that wrote itself. Don't read it if you don't want to, but personally I think you'd miss a lot. I don't know it for sure because honestly I haven't read it. Every word popped up in my mind and I only wrote it down so once I read it, it will be a pleasant (or maybe not) surprise for me, too. It hasn't been proofread either, of course so please excuse any mistakes and typos. I hope it will be enjoyable though and feel free to share your opinion about this chapter or any other scene of this fic. Your feedback is the most important thing for me. :-)

They stumbled into the room Marcel had allowed them to use. It was like a small wareroom full of boxes but there was also a couch in it and for the time being, it was all they needed. Their lips never parted while they made their way to the sofa and they almost tripped over a few boxes but eventually Marco slumped down and Erik sat in his lap immediately, straddling the blonde. They continued right where they had finished, finding each other again with their lips and losing themselves in the passionate kiss.

It was different from anything they had done before. Earlier, they had all the time they needed; they had been making love, displaying their affection for the other with sweet kisses, gentle touches and lazy strokes. This time though, they were driven with lust. They not only wanted each other; they _needed_ each other. Their lips danced to a rhythm twice faster than their usual one. Their tongues fought for dominance and their noses collided every second in their fierce movements. Everything happened so quickly that Erik didn’t even realize when Marco had taken off his shirt, the pilot’s hands now running up and down the brunette’s bare back.

“Oh God, I want you so much!” Erik sighed into Marco’s mouth and the blonde replied with an equally needy moan.

His fingers were now tugging at Erik’s jeans and the younger one lowered his backside and rubbed it against Marco’s groin. His boyfriend’s dick was rock hard and Erik could have sworn that it was already leaking pre-cum. He needed to see it though, just to be sure. He moved lower with his lips, leaving a trail of wet kisses on his way down Marco’s neck. Just when he would have reached the material of Marco’s T-shirt, the blonde pushed him away, only to be able to get rid of his top and let Erik go on.

The brunette didn’t waste any time. His head returned to Marco’s chest and his lips touched the skin above the strong muscles over and over again. He wondered lower painfully slowly to Marco’s liking but he eventually reached the blonde’s groin and he got rid of both layers standing between him and Marco’s shaft in a single move.

He hadn’t been mistaken; the head of Marco’s dick was covered in pre-cum and sparkled in the lamp’s light. He would have enjoyed the beautiful view in front of him for much longer, but he felt Marco’s hand on the back of his head, driving him closer to his twitching manhood. Erik didn’t protest; he planted a kiss on the sensitive tip first and then swallowed Marco’s whole length.

He took the blonde by surprise before he gasped in pleasure and his legs started to shake uncontrollably. _He can’t be that close_ , Erik thought but he could relate to what his boyfriend was going through. His dick was twitching, too, unable to wait patiently until it finally would get the attention it deserved.

Erik’s head bobbed up and down on Marco’s dick, pushing him closer and closer to the edge. His lips sensed the small vibrations from Marco’s groin, an unmistakable sign of the older one’s climax but before he could reach it, Marco stopped Erik with the biggest self-control in the world.

He didn’t say anything, only pulled the brunette closer for a kiss and then he unbuttoned his jeans and his fingers slipped under Erik’s boxers, grabbing his dick forcefully. Erik shuttered and almost spilled his load immediately onto his love’s hand. It took him a few deep breaths until he gained control over his body again. Marco waited patiently, smiling satisfied. He clearly enjoyed the reaction he got from Erik.

Once Erik had calmed down, he started to jerk him off slowly and the brunette stepped out of his pants. He closed his eyes, focusing on the touch of Marco’s fingers and he almost lost his footing when the blonde’s tongue licked over the sensitive head of his cock. And then Marco took him into his mouth, the warmth enclosing him. It was such a soothing feeling that at the same time sent electric jolts down his spine that made him shiver.

“Marco, I want you to take me!” He gasped, the last coherent thought he could manage for a long time.

“Um, I don’t have lube with me. I wasn’t expecting such an ardent reaction from you.” The blonde chuckled.

Erik let out a groan of discontent but he didn’t grieve for too long. He reached for plan B and he sat down next to Marco.

“Get up!” He said and his boyfriend did so, seeing that he had no chance to get further explanations. Erik lay down on the couch, spreading his legs so Marco would fit between them. “Lie on top of me!”

“Erik, I don’t know–” Marco hesitated. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Just lie on top of me, for fuck’s sake!” Erik cried out. His eyes were _black_ with lust and sweat covered his entire forehead.

Marco obeyed his command and knelt between the brunette’s long legs. He then leaned forward and kissed his love. “I’m sorry, Erik” He whispered. “But I really don’t want to risk hurting you. Wait until we get home and then–”

His sentence remained unfinished because Erik grabbed their dicks that were now next pressed against each other, both thumping under his fingers.

“Marco, I’m close and I need to come. So stop whining and start thrusting. And don’t you dare use your sweet lips for other than kissing me.”

Marco snickered but started to thrust his hips forward and the sensation he felt was unimaginable. Their dicks were slippery from pre-cum and saliva and his shaft slid easily between Erik’s cock and his fingers, simulating their members. Erik didn’t forget about the second part of his instructions and he pulled Marco in for a kiss.

The blonde felt that he would come immediately after six thrusts and he only managed three more before he sent himself over the edge, shooting his load all over their abdomen. And that was all Erik needed to reach his orgasm, too.

Marco collapsed on his love and Erik took him in his arms. They both were a sticky mess as they waited for their pleasure to subside, their hearts slowing down simultaneously.

“I’m sure Marcel has a towel around here.” Marco mumbled after he finally caught his breath.

“Forget about it.” Erik was still snappy from lust. He never seemed to get enough of Marco. “I just want to stay like this for a few seconds… minutes… hours.”

“I don’t think it will work.” Marco snickered. He lifted up his head to be able to look into Erik’s eyes. The most beautiful eyes in the world.

“Thank you, Marco.” Erik sighed. “You made real everything I have ever wished for and I want to be by your side forever. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” Marco smiled. He planted a kiss on Erik’s lips and put his head back on the brunette’s chest, closing his eyes and listening to the even heartbeat of the most precious human being. And in that see of tranquility, he dozed off, losing himself in a dream that couldn’t be any sweeter than reality.


	35. Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your kudos, comments and hits, we've almost reached 5000 hits, it's incredible! :-) Thank you for this amazing support and make sure to let me know if you liked this chapter and what you think of it.  
> Another special thanks goest to Blue Night. Thank you for your wonderful betaing. :-)

They had clung to each other the whole day and Marco had been utterly glad that he had chosen such an early time for his surprise. Marcel had driven them back to the city before noon and they had agreed with Erik on the date of the first few flights. The brunette couldn’t have thanked the two friends enough for fighting for his dream that he had given up earlier. Marco’s heart had almost melted; he had enjoyed seeing his boyfriend this happy much more than he had imagined.

They had spent their day together, making the most out of it. Erik had gone home in the evening because the next day he was flying to Stockholm. Marco had almost cried when the brunette had left his house but at least he had had fantastic memories to get him through the days they were going to spend apart.

They had met for an hour once Erik had come back to Frankfurt but it had been far from being enough for them. And now Marco was sitting in Julian’s car, on their way to the airport for a one-day trip to Rome. Erik was flying too, but it was only a domestic flight so he would be back for the evening as well. Thomas had taken a day-off and Marco didn’t mind it at all. He had to talk to Julian about his plan to counter Anne’s threats and of course, Julian’s and Mario’s date. Having Thomas around wouldn’t help his cause, he knew his friend well enough to know it for sure.

They landed in Italy around eleven o’clock and Marco decided to invite the novice for lunch. They could get more privacy in a restaurant than in the airport’s canteen and the topics he wanted to bring up were quite delicate. Plus, there was a smaller chance of anyone eavesdropping on their conversation in German there. They called a taxi and went to Fiumicino.

Marco was very amused of how lost Julian looked in the world. Just like Marco had been a few years earlier and he suddenly sympathized with the young man. There were no hard feelings in him for what Julian had done with Anne but he hadn’t forgotten it, either. And it still had to be on Julian’s mind, too, because he looked at Marco as if he could attack him any moment.

“Don’t worry, Julian, there’s no poison in your food.” Marco smiled at him reassuringly. “I want to help you, I’ve said it already.”

“Yes, I know. It’s just hard to believe that you’re not mad at me for what I’ve done. You have every right to do so.” Julian explained.

“Let’s forget it, shall we?”

“Okay. But how can you help me with my problem?”

“One of my sisters works for a medical company that conducts some researches in the field of drug addictions and so. She has been part of a group that examines the possible positive effects of ‘lighter drugs’ on people who have a stressful profession – strictly _after_ their working hours. Of course, the company the subjects work for must agree to this but papers like this get lost all the time. So what if there was an application form in your files? If anyone looked into the matter, he would find that everything’s alright, only that their response ended up somewhere completely else. It’s just a security in case Anne spoke to someone but I doubt that she will do it. After all, then you can tell human resources management that she has been blackmailing you. It’s too risky for her.” Marco outlined his plan and Julian listened to him in awe.

“Wow. But how can we get a paper like this?”

“Don’t worry about it. My sister will give us a form, you will fill it out and Thomas will make sure that it gets into your file.”

“So everyone is working on saving my ass? Marco, that’s– I don’t know how to thank you!”

“You know the price.” The blonde snickered.

“Yes, Mario.” Julian chuckled. “I went to see him in the Smug and he really looks like a nice guy.” Marco looked at him bewildered. Had he missed something? “You can’t really call it a date. I only checked him out and had a chat with him over a drink. He surely knows how to make a cocktail. A very strong one.” Julian added, laughing at the memory.

“Yeah, you must be very careful with Mario and his cocktails. This combination gets a lot of information out of you, I speak from experience.” Marco joined Julian in his laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had such a great time with a colleague. Sure, they were friends with Thomas, but it was always childish teasing rather than a confab.

They had a safe journey back and Julian drove Marco home but the blonde didn’t wait for long. He put a new set of clothes in his rucksack and then he called a taxi. The sun was setting when he reached Mario’s and Erik’s apartment.

The barman was about to leave for work and Marco couldn’t hold back his huge grin. The brunette was up for a great surprise in the Smug. Julian had promised Marco (and himself) that he would talk to Mario again and maybe make a move and the blonde wasn’t so sure anymore that it was only because Julian wanted Anne’s blackmails to come to an end as soon as possible. The young pilot had a crush on Mario and it was obvious.

“Okay, I’m out of here! Erik, don’t forget to give water to Charlie and take him for a walk before you go to bed!” Mario gave his instructions before he left for work.

Marco and Erik were finally alone, something they had been waiting for for two days. Erik embraced his boyfriend with a huge beam and he carried him into his room. They slumped down on the brunette’s bed and started a passionate kissing session that Marco never wanted to end. Erik’s hands soon wandered lower and his fingers slipped under Marco’s jeans.

“What’s wrong?” Erik asked gasping when Marco pulled away from the contact.

“Charlie.” Marco said hoarsely. “He’s watching us.” He jerked his head towards the spaniel who stared at them with innocent eyes.

“He’s a dog, Marco. He won’t tell anyone.” Erik snickered.

“I know, but it still feels strange.” Marco said and Erik sighed. He got up and lifted Charlie. He put him down in the hall and closed his room’s door.

“Better? Or is there anything else you don’t like?” Erik asked but he wasn’t really mad.

And to annoy him more, Marco’s phone started to ring. The blonde burst out laughing when he saw his boyfriend’s face turn red in anger but he fished out his cell from his pocket and answered the call.

“Yes, Yvonne?”

“Marco, please tell me that you’re home!”

“Well, I’m not at home right now but I just got back from Rome. I’ll be home for two days.”

“That’s perfect!” His sister started to scream in joy and Marco had to turn his phone away from his ear so it wouldn’t cause him permanent hearing loss. “Listen, we both need to go on a business trip tomorrow and we can’t put Nico anywhere. I could leave him at Mom, but you know that I would only hear how spoiled he is… You are my last hope!” She pleaded.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll look after him; I haven’t seen him for a long time anyways. Just bring him to my place in the morning. And could you bring one of those forms we’ve talked about?” He asked, remembering his promise to Julian.

“I won’t forget it. Thanks bro, you’re the best. Are you sure it’s not a problem?”

“Not at all!” Marco smiled. “Just leave him with us; we will take good care of him.”

“ _Us_?” Yvonne repeated. “And that means you and…”

“Look, Yvonne, I’ve got to go now. We’ll see each other tomorrow, then! Bye!” Marco said with one deep breath and he hung up. He needed to be more careful when talking to his sister. She had inherited their mother’s nosiness.

“Who was that?” Erik asked, sitting down next to Marco. The blonde didn’t answer him directly, only turned to him with a huge grin on his face.

“How good are you at babysitting?”


	36. A Perfect Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is totally a filler and I don't even know why I wrote it. It is totally Marco's fault, he wanted me to write it and post it so I guess it is important to him. Let me know what you think about it. :-)

“Okay, it won’t work this way.” Marco pulled away from Erik.

Charlie had just started his tenth howl of despair. They were intercepted with scratching the door what Charlie did with so much vehemence that Marco honestly thought that he would get through the thick wood.

“Hey, it was you who told me to lock him out.” Erik snapped. He wasn’t more delighted by Charlie’s reaction than Marco.

“Can’t just the neighbors look after him?”

“No because they are on vacation. I didn’t know that a dog was such a problem for you.”

“It’s not that.” Marco smiled. “I love animals. But I spend a lot of energy to make Mario stay away from us and then comes his stupid dog and ruins our evening.”

“Hey, Charlie isn’t stupid!” Erik exclaimed. “Maybe he just needs to go out for a walk…”

“Well, then walk him.” Marco shrugged.

“Won’t you be joining me? We could have a romantic stroll.” Erik winked at him, pulling back his T-shirt he had lost sometime during their making out.

“Yeah and then stop to pick up Charlie’s poo. Very romantic indeed.” Marco snorted.

“Thanks.” Erik nodded. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I don’t love this new grumpy Marco.” He said and he left the room, much to the delight of Charlie who jumped on him.

Marco opened his mouth to answer something to this, but he changed his mind. If his friend’s dog was more important to Erik than his own boyfriend, then Marco didn’t have to make any apologies. He was tired after a long day of flying. Was it really such a big wish to have a romantic night with Erik?

He listened as the brunette put on his shoes and left the flat. Marco lay back on Erik’s bed. He had no idea how long such a walk would take. His eyes swept over the photos hanging on the wall. He recognized Erik’s mother and sister on the pictures and he gathered the man looking a lot like Erik was his father. Suddenly, a wave of sadness and sorrow washed over him.

“Marco Reus, you are an idiot!” He burst out and he hauled himself off the bed, running into the lobby.

He stepped into his shoes and opened the door but then he realized he didn’t have keys. He reached into the small bowl standing next to the entrance and fished for a key ring. He tried every key with growing impatience. Every second counted and he had to apologize to Erik. He finally found the right one (of course it was the last one he tried) and locked the door before storming down the stairs. There was no time to wait for the elevator.

He didn’t look at his watch because he knew he didn’t really have a chance of catching up to Erik but he didn’t want to see a proof of it. He almost tore down the front door of the building and he stopped immediately. On a bench next to the block of flats, Erik was sitting, beaming at the blonde.

“You didn’t get very far.” Marco noted as he walked to the brunette.

“Well, I had a feeling you would come after us so I said I would wait for you.” Erik smirked.

“Oh, in that case you know me all too well.” Marco sat down and snaked an arm around Erik’s waist. “I’m sorry for earlier. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I wanted to have the perfect evening with you and I guess when Charlie intervened, I didn’t take it well.”

“Marco.” Erik shook his head. “Every evening I spend with you is a perfect one to me.”

His features softened and Marco fell in love with him again. The orange light of the late evening sunshine lit his face and now it looked as if it was shining in bronze. _This is what angels must look like_ , Marco thought as he leaned closer to his young love and kissed him tenderly. They stood up and started off, holding hands. Maybe they would have an amazing evening, after all.

“What is your nephew like?” Erik asked.

“Oh, Nico is adorable! You will like him.” Marco smiled. “But you really don’t have to help me with him if you don’t want to.”

“Why not? He’s like three, right? How hard could it be?”

“Um, have you ever looked after three years olds?” Marco snickered.

“No, I’m the youngest in the family. Why?”

“It’s like hell.” Marco said with much drama. “They want to play all the time and get all the attention. You are completely exhausted after an hour and they simply don’t want to stop. And at the same time, they make you like them so much that you don’t want to stop, either.”

“It sounds like fun.” Erik shrugged, not believing Marco’s words. He would learn things the hard way, then.


	37. Babysitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with the first half of Marco and Erik looking after Nico. I didn't plan it to be this long, but the scene kept growing and growing and I didn't want it to stop, either. :-) I hope you don't mind, please let me know what you think about it. :-)  
> It hasn't been proofread yet and it's pretty late so I'm sure there will be some mistakes, please excuse me that, I will check it in the morning.

They woke up at half past six in the next morning, just to be sure that they made it on time to Marco’s home. Yvonne was supposed to stop by with Nico after eight, but Marco had had a hunch that their morning routine would take a bit longer than usually and he wasn’t mistaken. First, Erik started to wake Marco’s entire body with tender kisses and his manhood woke up very expressly. The brunette didn’t leave it unnoticed and Marco had to concentrate hard not to let out a loud moan. Mario was sleeping just next door and the blonde didn’t want to ‘share’ this intimate moment with him.

They moved into the bathroom next and Marco returned Erik’s favor eagerly, although the younger one didn’t make such a secret of his joy. It was already half past seven when they stumbled out of the shower stall. They quickly put on new clothes and called a taxi. They arrived at the blonde’s house just before eight.

“I will make us breakfast.” Erik promised as Marco unlocked the door and let the brunette in.

While Erik was rummaging in the kitchen, Marco checked every room so there were no potentially dangerous objects left in Nico’s arm’s reach. He loved his little nephew and he didn’t want to see him hurt. He nodded contentedly when he was finished and the house was officially hazard-free. At least he hoped so.

There was a knock on his door the moment Erik cried out announcing that the breakfast was ready. Marco rushed to the hall and opened the door, smiling at his sister. Yvonne had a huge sports bag around her shoulder and she held another one with her free hand. Nico was holding onto the other one but only until he noticed his uncle and he ran into Marco’s arms immediately with a loud shout.

“What’s going on here?” Erik stepped joined them but he was ignorant of the guests because he recoiled when he saw them.

“Um, Yvonne, this is Erik. Erik, my sister Yvonne.” Marco quickly introduced them while lifting up Nico.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Yvonne beamed at the brunette and she offered her hand which Erik took hesitantly. “So you are the second one in Marco’s _we_?”

“Yvonne!” Marco snapped. “Aren’t you in a hurry?”

“Okay, I don’t want to get in the way of this boy party.” She snickered. Marco rolled his eyes around annoyed. He was already hearing all the teases his sister was getting ready for him. “I packed all you can need into these bags. The form you needed is in them, too. But I don’t want to hear more about it, I have nothing to do with it, is that clear?” Marco nodded. “Rolf will pick Nico up in the evening. If there’s any problem, call Mom, she knows what to do. Goodbye darling!” She leaned closer to Nico and put a gentle peck on his small cheek. “Thank you guys again!”

“It’s okay, Yvonne, just go finally!” Marco chuckled and his sister obeyed to him.

The blonde put down Nico carefully and picked up the two bags. They were heavier than he had expected and maybe their mother was right: Yvonne _did_ spoil her son, but then, Marco wasn’t stricter to Nico, either. He walked with the bags into the living room and Nico followed him closely; he was clearly mistrustful towards Erik. But the brunette didn’t seem to notice it. He joined them and crouched down next to Nico, so their eyes were at the same height.

“Hello, Nico! My name is Erik.” He smiled at the toddler hopefully.

Nico measured him with frightened eyes and then he hastily ran to Marco, grabbing his leg tightly. His lips curved downwards, and a few drops of tear welled in his eyes.

“Why did you do that?” Marco snapped at his boyfriend.

“What? I was trying to be nice to him.” The brunette stood up unsteadily.

“Well, you scared him!” Marco snorted and he hugged his nephew. “Shh, it’s okay, Nico. Erik is my friend, he won’t hurt you. Don’t cry!” But it was like talking to a brick wall and the small boy started to sob even louder. Marco shot Erik an accusing glance and his boyfriend looked back at him apologetically. “Hey, Nico, why don’t we check what your mother has packed into these bags?”

He finally found Nico’s weak spot; he was always up for playing anything and he probably knew exactly what treasure those bags hid. Marco would have sworn that Yvonne had actually asked Nico which toys he had wanted.

“And what about the breakfast?” Erik asked suddenly.

“Leave it, Erik. I must calm Nico down, first.”

“It will get cold.” The brunette pouted.

“Well, you should have thought about it before upsetting Nico!” Marco snapped and he focused entirely on opening the zips with one hand because he was still embracing his nephew with the other one. He didn’t see or hear his boyfriend leave the room. Yvonne hadn’t disappointed him: the bag was filled with different toys and Marco was pretty sure that he hadn’t had that much when he had been a child.

“Uncle Marco, is Erik really your friend?” Nico asked shyly as if he was afraid to speak louder than a whisper. The signs of his earlier whining gone from his voice.

“Yes, he is.”

“But you shouldn’t argue with your friends.” The small kid said with a child’s innocence and Marco had to smile.

“We weren’t arguing, Nico. And not because of you, don’t worry.”

“But he is sad now.”

“Okay, I will talk to him.” Marco finally gave up. He wanted to show good example to Nico. “But only if you promise me that you won’t go anywhere.”

Nico nodded and Marco got up, hurrying to the kitchen. He didn’t trust his nephew, he knew him too well to actually think that he would stay in one place. He found Erik sitting at the table, pecking at his scrambled eggs half-heartedly. Marco gulped; Nico had been right: he had hurt Erik’s feelings.

“Babe, I didn’t mean it.” He said and Erik looked up startled. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t want to make Nico cry.”

“No, it’s okay.” Erik waved away his apology, already feeling better. “I should have stayed at home, I’m not good with kids.”

“Nonsense! You will get along with him easily. This time, let me make things clear to him, okay?” He walked to him and grabbed Erik’s hand, ready to pull him with him to the living room and reconcile them, but he heard Nico’s words from behind him and he turned around to tell off his little nephew.

“Uncle Marco, are we going to play policeman?” Nico asked and Marco freaked out.

Nico hadn’t just come up with this idea, he had already gotten a pair of handcuffs for their game. A pair of handcuffs Marco found very familiar.

“For Christ’s sake, Nico! Put those down!” He shouted at his nephew who obeyed frightened.

“Are you a policeman, Uncle Erik?” Nico mumbled.

“Not exactly.” Erik smiled amused. “Those are for–”

“Yes, he is.” Marco cut his boyfriend short. Was Erik really going to explain his three-year old nephew what does handcuffs were for? Had everyone around Marco gone mad?

“Wow!” Nico said agape and Marco smiled satisfied. Making Nico love Erik wasn’t that hard after all, it only was the question of an innocent white lie.

From then on, they had a relatively easy job. Nico got busy with his toys and they only had to assist him in his fantasies. But anyone who had ever looked after a kid knows how tiring that assisting can be. Marco had enough of it after two hours. He sat on his couch and scanned through the form Yvonne had brought to him. It was already filled out, Julian only had to add his personal data.

Marco reached for his cell and dialed the young pilot’s number. His call was answered after the third ring, in the meantime he watched Nico and Erik having a car race on the carpet that the child was winning. Erik had learnt quickly that it had to be that way.

“Hello?” Came Julian soft and quiet voice.

“Hey Julian, this is Marco. I’ve got the papers I was talking about.”

“A moment.” Julian stopped him and Marco heard him moving. “I’m listening.” He said, this time louder.

“Why were you whispering?” Marco asked frowning.

“Because Mario’s still sleeping.”

“Mario? Which–” _Mario?_ , he wanted to ask, but the answer was pretty obvious. He couldn’t believe the greenhorn but it explained the extra pair of shoes he had stood over with Erik puzzled in the brunette’s apartment earlier in the morning.

“Oh, Marco I must thank you for getting us together! You don’t have any idea how great he has been.”

“No, I don’t, and let’s leave it that way, shall we?” Marco stopped him before Julian could go into details. “Now, the form–”

“Yes, yes, the application.” Julian agreed. “Listen, what about I pick you up in half an hour and we can take it straight to Thomas. I will drive you back home, don’t worry.”

“But–” Marco started to object, but Julian had already hung up.

“Who was that?” Erik asked, looking up from the gripping car race.

“Julian. Do you mind if I leave you alone for an hour or so?” Marco sighed.

“That depends on Nico.” Erik shrugged. “What do you say, big boy?”

“Where are you going, Uncle Marco?”

“I must give some papers to another friend of mine. But don’t worry, Erik will take good care of you.” Marco winked at his nephew who grinned from ear to ear in response. He had come to like Erik very much.

“I will bring us something for lunch.” Marco promised.

“Please, go to McDonald’s!” Nico demanded and Marco wondered how on Earth he knew about it already. Maybe he had to talk to Yvonne about parenting after all.

“Are you sure it’s not a problem?” Marco asked again, ignoring his nephew’s wish.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.” Erik reassured him.

So when Julian arrived twenty minutes later, announcing his arrival with a loud and long horn sound, Marco grabbed the papers Yvonne had brought him and left his home. He had made sure that Erik knew what to do in the case of an emergency but his boyfriend had reassured him that there had been no need to worry. Still, Marco got into Julian’s car with a bad feeling.

“Hi, Marco!” Julian, on the other hand was beaming and his face was literally shining.

“Hey. Please, spare me the details and hurry!” Marco said unimpressed and Julian got that he wasn’t in the mood for a friendly chat.

They stopped in front of Thomas’ house ten minutes later and Marco rushed everyone to get through this procedure as soon as possible. His co-pilot wasn’t much of a help though, he wanted to know why he had to smuggle that form into Julian’s file. So Marco outlined Anne’s plot to him and after that, Thomas had finally agreed to cooperate.

“Oh, and since I’m going to talk to human resources… maybe I could drop a few hints what to consider when they make our schedules for next month?” Thomas winked knowingly at Marco when they were about to leave.

“Could you do that?” Marco turned around, his bad mood gone.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Please, Thomas!” Marco pleaded. He wanted to spend as much time together with Erik as possible.

“Okay, I will see what I can do.” The other blonde promised.

They left Thomas’ house and on their way back to Marco’s place they stopped for takeaway. When they arrived at their destination, they thanked each other mutually and Marco walked with easy steps to his front door. He couldn’t wait until he could tell Erik the good news.

He went straight to the kitchen, placing their lunches on the table. Erik joined him and the moment Marco saw his face, he knew that something was wrong. The brunette was in despair and Marco wanted to know the reason behind it as soon as possible.

“Where’s Nico?” He asked, fearing the worst.

“Um–” Erik drawled and Marco had to hold onto something to stop himself from fainting.


	38. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second part of Marco's and Erik's babysitting with some drama and a fluffy ending. I hope you will like it, let me know in the comments. :-)

“You don’t want to tell me that you’ve lost my nephew, do you?” Marco yelled.

“I’m not saying that I’ve lost him. I just don’t know where he is exactly.” Erik stuttered. “But he must be in the house, right?” He was looking for reassurance from the pilot, but he wasn’t going to get it.

“How would I know? He’s three years old. He can slip out through a door before you know it.” Marco breathed heavily. He was about to panic. “Nico!” He shouted in despair.

“Marco, I’m so sorry.” Erik’s lips were trembling and he was on the verge of crying.

“What the hell happened? How could you leave him alone?” Marco asked and he rushed out of the kitchen, looking for his nephew in the house, with Erik tagging at his heels.

“We were playing and he asked me for a toy. At first I didn’t want to give in, you know, kids shouldn’t get everything they want, but then he started crying and I went to check it in the bag. When I got back, he was gone.”

“Erik, how can you be that stupid? Of course he started to cry, he was just using you.” Marco grumbled without even meaning what he had said. He didn’t blame Erik, only himself, after all, it was him, who left them on their own. So if anything happened to Nico– but no, he wasn’t going down that road. Nico was safe and sound, they just had to find him.

“So now you are an expert, right?” Erik snapped back, his face full of concern for the toddler, too. Marco wanted to stop and apologize to him right away, but they didn’t have time for that. It could wait. Nico could not.

“Nico!” Marco cried again and Erik echoed his call. It was useless. If the boy was ‘playing hide and seek’ with them, he wasn’t going to reply. “Okay, this won’t work.” Marco acknowledged. “You look around in the house, I will go out and make sure that he’s not in the street.”

“Marco–” Erik whined and the blonde grabbed him by his arms.

“Not now, Erik. I know that you are sorry and I’m not mad at you. But right now, we must find him, okay?”

“Yes.” Erik nodded and he entered the next room.

Marco turned around and jogged back to the hall. He was about to open the front door when he heard a thump from the backyard, followed by the sound of quiet sobbing. He rushed to the back door and looked out through the window next to it. He saw Nico lying with his face down in Marco’s rock garden. Okay, the flowers had shriveled a long time ago, so it was practically just a heap of rocks.

“I’ve got him!” He yelled towards Erik’s direction and he tore the door open.

“Nico, what are you doing?” He charged to his nephew and lifted him up from the dirt. His trousers were torn and Marco saw a small scratch on his leg. But it wasn’t that serious to make the boy weep the way he did. “Do you have an idea what we’ve gone through?” He asked Nico with the dirty strategy many grown-ups used to evoke a feeling of guilt in children. _I screwed up but I will blame you because you aren’t able to defend yourself_.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Marco!” Nico cried on the pilot’s shoulder. But, his pangs of conscience didn’t seem to last long, because the next moment, he put on a different role. “It hurts.”

“You deserve it.” Marco nudged him gently. “At least you will remember never to disappear again just like that. Erik was very afraid of you, you will have to apologize to him.” He walked with Nico back to the house. His boyfriend was standing in the living room and Marco could see the relief on his face when he saw them. The pilot walked to him and not caring about Nico watching them, he put a peck on his cheeks. “Everything is fine.” He whispered and Erik nodded, smiling.

“Thank God.”

“Uncle Erik, I’m sorry I ran away.” Nico interrupted their conversation with a very sad voice.

“It’s okay, _buster_!” Erik snickered. His laugh was so sweet and adorable, Marco thought.

“Okay, we should tend to your horrible injury. Erik, could you warm the lunch in the meantime?”

“Sure.” The brunette nodded and left to the kitchen.

Marco walked with Nico to the bathroom and put him down on a chair, rolling up the leg of his trousers to take a better look at his wound. It was really nothing, only a graze. Marco put a few drops of antiseptic on a piece of cotton wool and cleaned it. Nico hissed as the alcohol stung his skin, but overall, he endured the treatment bravely.

“Uncle Marco?” He asked as Marco put a Band-Aid on his leg.

“Yes?”

“Is Erik really just your friend?” Nico brought out with the honesty of children.

Marco took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. They hadn’t talked to Nico about his ‘differences’. They had wanted to give him time to figure things out himself and that time might have come a lot earlier than they had expected.

“Well, we are really close.” Marco finally said.

“You look nice together.”

“Thank you.” Marco smiled, patting Nico’s shoulder. “You did great! Wash your hands and let’s go and eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

“Me too.” Nico chuckled, already long over Marco’s confession.

By the time they got to the kitchen, Erik had already set the table and their meal was steaming in the middle of the table. Marco helped Nico up a chair and sat down next to Erik.

“This isn’t from McDonald’s.” Nico noted while he inspected the food in front of him.

“No.” Marco agreed laughing. “But renegades don’t get to eat what they want.”

They finished their lunches in silence and they resumed playing right after that. This time, Erik and Marco both kept a close watch on Nico, never letting him out of their field of view. Yvonne’s husband, Rolf came to pick him up right before seven and by then, Marco and Erik were completely exhausted. They slumped down on the couch, unable to move a single bit of their bodies.

“Erik, about the incident at noon…” Marco started, but his boyfriend stopped him.

“Don’t worry, I know you didn’t mean it.” The brunette reassured him. “It was a hard situation for both of us and let’s just be grateful that nothing bad happened.”

“I really shouldn’t have said all those things. I was mad at myself for leaving you alone with Nico and because Julian’s papers were more important to me.”

“I’ve told you it was okay.” Erik smiled at him. “But please, promise me something!”

“What?” Marco asked surprised.

“We will never get a kid on our own.” Erik laughed and Marco joined him. It was a perfect moment and he couldn’t hide his blush. Erik could imagine them staying together for a long enough time to even consider adopting a child and Marco couldn’t quite believe it. But, he knew he didn’t want to leave this man’s side.


	39. A Start of Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm back again with this story. I needed to take a little break because of motivation and inspiration issues, but I'm back full of ideas and determination, I hope you will enjoy the new updates. I wanted to come back with lots of fluff, but the chapter took a different course and I really hope you will like it, believe me, it sets up something great. :-) But instead of talking about it, I think I should let you read it and decide for yourselves... Enjoy it!

“I have a feeling that we are going to have a wonderful month.” Marco smiled smugly in front of his computer. The schedule for the next month had just been sent to them and the pilot’s heart missed a beat as he scrolled nervously through the list of his flights. Thomas had kept his promise; they were going to have eight flights, seven of them with Erik on board– and none with Anne.

“Wow, you really _have_ arranged it.” Erik wondered excited, embracing him from behind.

“Did you doubt my abilities?” Marco asked back with feigned resentment.

He turned back and looked face to face with Erik. The brunette grew more beautiful with each and every day they spent together. And they barely left each other’s side. Marco usually arrived a day later from duty and Erik used that one day to take flying lessons from Marcel. He was making great progress as the blonde had the opportunity to make sure of a few days earlier. He had never been this happy in his entire life. Everything seemed so perfect and in harmony, he almost feared that the wonderful times would come to an abrupt and unpleasant end. But, Erik’s arms wrapped around his waist, the confidence the younger one radiated made him forget about every doubt.

“I would never question your skills.” Erik licked over his lip, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. “You prove them to me night after night.”

Marco couldn’t recall how they ended up naked in the bed, their limbs entangled, Erik on top of him, kissing every single part of his body with tender little pecks. Marco’s body was on fire, his thoughts lost because of Erik’s passionate ministration. He closed his eyes and waited for whatever his amazing boyfriend would come up with.

Erik had been right; they proved their skills to each other very often, but still, they didn’t seem to get enough of the other one. Marco’s breathing got heavier as he felt Erik starting off towards his manhood with ardent kisses, his tongue dancing on his smooth skin. Marco’s dick twitched at the promise of upcoming touches. But, to his surprise, Erik slipped his arms under his legs and lifted them up, snuggling closer to his body, headed in a completely new direction.

“What are you doing?” Marco asked, fear in his voice. He knew very well what Erik was doing and he was more than excited about it, but still, he immediately tensed up when he thought about Erik taking him.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want it.” Erik reassured him with loving eyes. Marco took a deep breath and shook his head. “Okay, but just tell me to stop if this–”

“I want it, Erik.” Marco sighed nervously. “Just please– be careful.”

“Of course, love.” Erik kissed his inner thighs. “I would never hurt you. I won’t do anything you won’t enjoy. But, I need you to relax. Don’t think, just feel and give yourself to me.”

“Okay.” Marco croaked out, his mind dimmed with his arousal.

Erik’s lips started to massage his legs and they crawled higher up on his thighs, headed towards the hottest part of Marco’s body. He lost all his self-control when Erik’s lips finally reached his sensitive hole. His instincts took over and instead of relishing the light and tender touch, he clenched and pulled away.

“I’m sorry.” He shot down his eyes, blushing.

“Shh, there’s no need to apologize.” Erik caressed his leg, reaching with his other hand for Marco’s chin, lifting his head up to be able to look him in the eyes.

“But, you wanted to–”

“And you are not ready for it, yet.” Erik smiled gently. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I want your first time to be special and I won’t rush things.”

“It won’t be my first time bottoming.” Marco mumbled, dropping his head again.

“What?” Erik asked with concern in his voice. “Did you– I mean was there someone who–”

“Yes.” Marco nodded. “It was just a one-night stand and we had drunk more than we should have.” He almost broke down in tears as he recalled the unpleasant memory. Erik noticed his discomfort and sat up next to him, taking him in his arms. Marco leaned against him, resting his head on the brunette’s shoulder, finding comfort in the heat of his body.

“It hurt.” Marco whispered with horror and only then he realized that his tears had started to flow.

“Gosh, Marco, I’m so sorry!” Erik cried out. “If I had known I wouldn’t have–”

“No, you couldn’t have known.” The pilot shook his head. “Actually, I should have told you, but I thought I was over it. I want to give myself to you, Erik. I long to feel you inside me, but– I just need more time.”

Erik stroked his hair and pulled him even closer to himself, planting countless pecks on the top of his head, breathing in his hair’s scent in the meantime. He didn’t say anything, all he had to say was told in his movements. He started to rock Marco slowly and tenderly, determined to wash away the blonde’s memories and let him feel loved.

“Are you mad at me?” Marco’s voice was weak.

“What?” Erik exclaimed. “Of course not! Marco, you didn’t do anything bad. I don’t want you to think that you let me down. I love you more than I can say and I would never want you to do something you are not comfortable with. I will wait all my life if you need that much time.”

“Thank you.” Marco whispered, lifting his head at last, smiling weakly at his boyfriend. “I hope I will be faster than that.”

“That’s really not what I care about.” Erik reassured him. “I want you to be happy by my side. I want you to know how much you mean to me. And when the time comes, I will know how much I mean to you.”


	40. Standing up for a Special Someone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your support, keep up your kudos and comments if you liked the new chapter. :-)

“Congratulations, your plan seems to have worked.” It was the last voice Marco wanted to hear that morning. It was his last flight in the month and that meant the last flight with Anne for some time. And of course she had to start those two days in a mocking tone. The fact that Marco had to leave Erik behind was bad enough, he didn’t need to take Anne’s shit today, too.

“What do you mean by that?” He spun around annoyed, waiting for the older woman to catch up to him. She was grumpier than usually and that was saying a lot in her case. Thomas would have had a witty and offensive comment about her appearance that would make Marco laugh and forget about this little incident, but his friend wasn’t nearby and Marco wasn’t going to simply ignore her.

“Your sweet month with Erik, of course.” She said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Well, it basically constituted Marco’s entire world in the last days, but this wasn’t the point.

“And what reason do you have to care about it?” Marco shrugged, his voice snappier than he had intended. A cloud of anger passed Anne’s face but she managed to stop herself. After all, Marco was going to be the pilot and her boss in a way; she was smarter than to argue with a superior.

“Nothing. You do whatever you want to, I’m not even surprised for Erik’s life decisions. But don’t you think for a moment that you’ve gotten rid of me. I see what you are doing and I simply won’t leave it like that. Your romance is a shame to the company and the fact that they even assist to your pathetic love is a saddening joke.”

Marco opened his mouth but he only managed to gape at her. Had he heard it right? Had Anne really said something this homophobic? There was no other way to interpret her words and Marco was taken aback. It wasn’t the first time he had met homophobia, but so far it hadn’t been this bad. He could live however he wanted to live and no one had tried to stop him.

“I give you a minute to take that back.” He snarled angrily, their heated argument drawing a few curious looks from passers-by.

“No.” Anne stated firmly. “I stand by what I’ve said. Erik and you will never work and if I have to do something about that to make him realize that, I won’t hesitate for a bit.”

“What?” Marco exclaimed. This was getting more and more confusing. Anne didn’t speak out of hatred. This was something personal and there was concern in her voice. Concern for Erik– but, that couldn’t be! She had never shown interest in the brunette’s life whatsoever. “If this is still about ruining Erik’s life because of Alex–”

“How dare you?” She cried out, her eyes flashing. Marco saw that he had found a sore spot and he wished he hadn’t spoken so heedlessly. “How dare you talk about him? And how do you know about him?”

“Li– Lisa told me.” Marco stammered. He felt like a bad boy who was being told off by his mother. Or grandmother; it wasn’t very important right now.

“Of course she did!” Anne flung her hands up in the air. “She always speaks when she should listen. I see they’ve turned you nicely against me, but maybe you should ask your precious Erik how he had robbed me of my son!”

_It wasn’t Erik’s fault_ , Marco was going to say, but he thought it wiser to remain silent. He really didn’t know what had happened on that ski holiday in the Alps. And even if he had known– not even her sister had succeeded to persuade Anne otherwise, how could he, a man Anne obviously disliked, did it? And to be honest, he took pity on the older woman as he watched while tears welled up in her eyes. She finally jerked up her head and walked past him, rushing to the women’s restroom.

Marco felt bad about himself all of a sudden. He really shouldn’t have taken on that fight with Anne. He didn’t have to do anything with it. Sure, he was Erik’s boyfriend and he couldn’t just watch as she insulted him. But still, bringing up Alex wasn’t a bright move… He’s conscience was heavily protesting and he didn’t even wonder, why. He had been playing nasty and he had to apologize to Anne, no matter what she had done.

But, it was easier said than done. As Marco made his usual pre-flight speech to the crew, Anne was careful to avoid looking at him and her overall behavior angered Marco no end. She was demeaning to her stewardesses and while Marco felt guilty again, because she was taking out the hurt he had caused on them, he couldn’t bring himself to apologizing to her anymore. It was a very uncomfortable situation and he hated those.

“Bad day at the office?” Thomas asked after Marco let out the umpteenth sigh in the cockpit.

“Kind of.” Marco shrugged and checked the same indicator for the dozenth time. It wasn’t necessary to check it that many times, but he couldn’t recall the result of his previous tests.

“We’re commercial pilots, Marco,” Thomas’ serious voice wasn’t like him at all. “responsible for the lives of our passengers. We can’t have bad days. If you feel you can’t concentrate on the job ahead, you should–”

“Thomas, I’m fine. Really.” Marco said although it annoyed him to be told off by his co-pilot. But at the same time, he was touched by his concerns. Thomas really loved his job and he was grateful for it. And he should have been: Marco had covered his ass not one time.

Luckily, there were no complications on their flight; if he had to be honest, Marco wasn’t sure how he would have managed an emergency situation. He was quite hopeful that his instincts would have taken over, but still, he could be wrong. Maintaining a relationship was harder than he had thought.

And it only got worse. At first, he was glad when he saw Erik’s number on his phone right after he entered his hotel room. He was looking forward to hearing his boyfriend’s voice, but he didn’t get what he had expected.

“Have you gone out of your mind?” Erik shouted so loudly that Marco had to keep his phone away from his ear to prevent any temporary hearing loss.

“Erik, darling, what’s wrong?” Marco asked tenderly.

“Don’t ‘Erik darling’ me! Who gave you permission to talk to Anne about Alex? And first of all, how do you know about him?” His voice didn’t get any quieter.

“Erik, I’m sorry, I was a fool. But really, is this the right time to discuss it? Half of the world is between us.”

“Lucky for you because I would slap you right now for what you have done!”

“What?” Marco stammered. He wanted to talk to his boyfriend, but Erik had other plans because he hung up the next moment.

Everything had been so perfect and then, Marco screwed up– again, like usually. He was in deep trouble and right now, he saw no way out.


	41. Love is in the Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will hopefully let you see what Erik thinks and maybe understand his previous actions. Let me know what you think of it. :-)

Erik turned around on his bed. He didn’t know what to do himself, he had such a bad conscience. What had he been thinking when he yelled at Marco for practically nothing? The blonde hadn’t done anything bad after all! But still, Marco’s nosiness had annoyed him. Why had he talked to Anne about him and especially about Alex? Erik new very well how much the past still hurt his aunt and Marco had had no right to bring it up even if he had meant good and he had wanted to protect Erik.

And there was another annoying question: how could Marco know about Alex? He hadn’t talked to his boyfriend about his late cousin. Okay, he might have made a mistake there, but still, it was either his mother or Lisa who had enlightened Marco. And Erik couldn’t imagine his mother gossiping with Marco, and definitely not about Alex. It had to be Lisa, his chatty sister! And he was going to tell her off for it.

But, the most annoying thing was next door. Seriously, couldn’t Mario and Julian keep their kissing session down a little bit? The snapping sounds their lips made was getting on Erik’s nerves and Mario’s soft giggle every now and then only made things worse. They were in love with each other, Erik got it and he was happy for his friend, but he was heartbroken and having a smaller crisis in his relationship, they could have been more mindful. The next moment though, they only went further with Julian possibly starting to tickle Mario who burst out in an uncontrollable laughter.

That was the last straw for Erik. He sat up and started to bang on the wall with his palm forcefully, only stopping when his skin was deep-red and stung from pain. He heard some hasty movements in Mario’s room and then the other brunette charged into his room, anger written all over his face. Apparently, he didn’t mind that he wasn’t wearing a T-shirt or he was almost losing his pants. He wasn’t even ashamed of showing the many hickeys on his chest that had to be the signs of Julian’s admiration.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” He shouted.

“Nothing.” Erik snapped back. “But you could definitely be quieter!”

“Oh, sorry for enjoying myself!”

“I have nothing against you enjoying yourself!” Erik yelled, contradicting his own words. Julian appeared in the doorway and at least he had been tactful enough to put his T-shirt back on, even if he was wearing it inside out. Erik was suddenly very grateful that he had stopped them in such an early phase because he could easily imagine Mario not stopping himself from crossing a line.

“What happened?” Julian asked amused as he walked behind Mario, embracing him from behind and snuggling up to him as if they hadn’t seen each other for months. Seriously, Erik was going to throw up if they kept on going like this.

“Ask Mr. Grumpy!” Mario said, his voice still full of anger.

“Stop that, Mario!” Erik cried out. “I’ll be out so I won’t interfere with your plans.”

“Sorry, but I won’t stop myself from having a good time only because your sweetheart is somewhere oversees.”

Julian’s expression changed in a split second as he realized what was going on. “Did you have a fight?” He asked and that finally made Mario change his attitude, too.

“Erik, tell me!” He looked at his friend concerned. “Or us!” He winced as Julian poked a finger in his flank.

“I said it’s nothing.” Erik said grudgingly as he stood up and walked to his cupboard, looking for some clothes.

“No, you’ve had a fight.” Mario stated and reached for Erik’s arm, but he jerked it away. “Erik, I’m sorry. I didn’t know– and you don’t have to leave. We can go to Jules’ place.”

“No, you were right. I shouldn’t take out my anger on you.” Erik shook his head. “Just stay here and enjoy your day off. And don’t wait for me, I don’t know when I’ll be back. I need to take a walk.”

With that, he grabbed a pair of jeans and a simple white T-shirt and went to the bathroom to get ready for going out. Mario and Julian watched him silently but they found themselves busy with each other easily again. If Erik didn’t want to talk to them, there was no point in forcing him. By the time he was putting on his shoes, the two lovebirds were in Mario’s room again, sharing a suspicious silence.

The weather outside was a complete opposite of Erik’s mood. The sun was shining brightly and a lot of people were out on the streets, enjoying the early summer. The neighborhood were filled with children’s laughter and for a moment Erik thought that maybe listening to Mario and Julian making out would have been the better option. He had no idea where he was going, he went where his legs took him and didn’t care about the time at all. The sun was almost completely set when he was startled back into reality by a woman’s cutting voice.

“Erik Durm, don’t you recognize your own mother?”

The brunette spun around towards the source of the sound and forced a weak smile. “Mom, I’m sorry. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts.”

“Yes, I can see that.” She drawled, measuring her son. “Is there anything you’d like to share with me?”

“Nah, I already know what you would tell me. I was simply stupid and hurt Marco.” Erik admitted.

“I see.” She nodded knowingly. “Maybe I can invite you for dinner and you can tell me exactly what happened?”

Erik nodded; he really needed someone to speak with. His mom drove them home and they prepared a quick dinner. Erik told her everything that had happened: Anne’s angry phone call, his own angry phone call to Marco and his altercation with Mario. She listened to him without interrupting him, only nodding in understanding or shaking her head in disbelief. When Erik was finished with both the dinner and the talking, she only looked at him with motherly love in her eyes.

“And you haven’t talked to Marco ever since?”

“No.” Erik shook his head. “I know I should apologize to him but he must be tired and he needs to get ready for his flight back.”

“And he’ll be able to do that without knowing that you aren’t really mad at him?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, what a fool I was!” Erik hit his forehead and sprung up, getting his phone out of his pocket.

“Erik, wait.” His mother stopped him. “Don’t think for a moment that a simple sorry will do it. You must really make it up to him if he means something to you and I know he means a lot.” She smiled and Erik already started to think of a way to conciliate his boyfriend.


	42. An Unjust Boyfriend and a True Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after Erik's wild reaction, things get complicated and we will learn about Marco's reaction. But, I would be glad to hear your opinion, too. :-) Kudos and comments are always appreciated.

Erik hadn’t called him back, and Marco gave up waiting after an hour. He turned off his phone and lay down on his bed, waiting for the liberating sleep that just wouldn’t come. He tossed and turned until he finally hauled himself off with a sigh and started to pace up and down in the room he shared with Thomas. Usually, he liked it more when he was staying alone, something he had gotten very good at, but this time, he was grateful for Thomas’ presence. Or at least, he would have been, hadn’t the co-pilot gone to visit some distant relatives Marco knew were too distant and obnoxious to be visited for longer than an hour.

The younger blonde returned just before dinner, and by that time Marco must have covered a mile in his anxious pacing, something Thomas noticed right away when Marco started another circle just when he entered the room.

“You know, if you want to take a walk, LA is waiting for you outside.” He chaffed.

“Very funny.” Marco groused.

“Oh, I see your heart problems persist.” Thomas sighed as he slumped down in one of the armchairs. “How can I help you?”

“Can you turn back time and stop me from saying something stupid and unkind?” Marco looked at him with hopeless eyes under a raised eyebrow.

“Let me see…” Thomas mused. “I’m sorry, I used all my mana on escaping the American Mrs. Müller’s dinner.” It was one of the rare times when Marco didn’t appreciate Thomas’ foolishness. He was a nerd addicted to online games and he didn’t hide it at all. “But maybe we don’t have to manipulate time. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Marco mused over his options for a minute. He wanted to talk to someone, but he wasn’t sure if Thomas was the best choice. He was a true friend, but he couldn’t control his tongue and some words could easily slip his mouth while talking to the not right people. But, he was left out of options, so he started to retell his conversations with Anne and Erik. At first, he spoke hesitantly, careful about how much he shared with Thomas, but after a few minutes, the words started to flow and there was no way of stopping them.

“Hm.” Thomas said once Marco was finished. “That sounds quite interesting. And you’ve turned off your phone?”

“Yes.” Marco nodded and then he freaked out. “Oh my God! How stupid of me! Maybe Erik wants to talk to me and I’m–”

“Marco, stop that.” Thomas said calmly. He sounded so mature and serious that it almost startled him. “I don’t know much about this Erik guy. But what you told me tells me that he is a douchebag.” Marco opened his mouth to object, but Thomas stopped him with a sudden raising of his hand. “Don’t try to protect him. You did that against Anne and how has he thanked you? By shouting at you. That’s the definition of a douchebag right there.”

“Oh, you don’t understand.” Marco said, seeing where he had made a mistake. “There’s something pretty serious in Erik’s past that–”

“That I don’t care about.” Thomas finished the sentence for him. “The past is the past, Marco. He should leave it behind and focus on the present and on you. I don’t know what happened to him or to someone else around him, but there’s no excuse for what he had done. You’re a grown-up man! You can’t run back to him all the time. I understand that you had trouble finding a companion in life, but only because you found one, it doesn’t mean that you have to stick to him at all costs! You haven’t done anything bad and you should let Erik do all the worrying.”

“But–”

“There’s no but!” Thomas snapped. “He has hurt your feelings and you shouldn’t just forgive him that. Let him ask for forgiveness. Let him do whatever pleases you. He must bear the consequences and you should think about what kind of a relationship it is where you can’t do what you feel right, because he will tell you off.”

Marco was left speechless. He wanted to argue with Thomas. He wanted to stand by the Erik he loved. His idol. And that word hit him with full force. Was Erik only an idol to him? Was the real Erik different than what he saw? He was full of doubts suddenly and a lot of questions swirled in his mind. Had he been too weak and had he let the younger one play with him and his feelings? He couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t be blinded by his love this much.

But, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he found only more doubts. He barely got any sleep in the night, but the thoughts kept him alert on their flight back home. He had allowed Erik too much, he saw it clearly now. He should have stood up for himself more often and say no to the brunette. Relationships shouldn’t have only been about meeting the other’s expectations. Marco had to make sure that Erik would adapt to his wishes, too. Erik might have been hurt in the past, but that didn’t entitle him to be a dictator in their romance. Marco was surprised how much Thomas had managed to change his opinion, but he had needed it. He still loved Erik, only, he had different ideas about their relationship.

They landed in Frankfurt without any problems and Thomas volunteered to take Marco home. On their drive he reminded the blonde pilot of how important he really was and that he shouldn’t put up with any bad treatment from no one. Honestly, Marco was getting enough of it and he started to have the feeling that Thomas was not much different in manipulating him. But, his friend meant good and he didn’t forget it for a second.

He stepped out from the car pretty happy, his heartbreak almost forgotten. But, as he walked towards his front porch, a bad feeling creeped over him. He didn’t want to enter his house and he didn’t know what to make out of it. He shook his hand and opened the door and stepped into the hall–

And he wanted to turn back immediately. The floor was covered with roses and candles. And in the middle of it, there stood Erik, looking sheepishly at him, his hands hidden behind his back. Marco didn’t know why, but this desperate act of asking for forgiveness annoyed him even more. Did Erik think that his love could be bought with this? He started to breathe heavily and he looked at the decoration with disgust.

“Marco, darling, I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you. I shouldn’t have–”

“Erik, stop.” Marco said firmly. “And leave my house, please.” He had to muster all his courage to say these words and not to break down crying. Erik looked at him incredulously.

“W–what?” He gaped with trembling lips.

“Just go, Erik!” Marco cried out. He wanted to have the brunette out of his home before Erik could see his tears and his sadness. Erik took the message and nodded, passing Marco.

“Just to be sure,” he turned back in the doorway. “is it permanent?”

“I don’t know.” Marco whined. Every second he spent with Erik was a mixture of opposing emotions. He was mad at the brunette, but at the same time he wanted nothing more than take him in his arms and cry on his shoulders. “I need some time to think.”

“Okay. Let me know when you are done.” Erik nodded for a final time before leaving the house, shutting the door emotionlessly.

The moment the door was shut, Marco’s legs gave up and he collapsed on the floor, his tears rolling down his cheek and gathering in a pool under his head.


	43. Calling to Account

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if you expected a fluffy making up scene, things aren't that simple, but the boys are making a few faltering steps in the right direction. Anyways, enjoy and let me know what you think of it, your comments always make my day! :-)

Erik had never felt so disappointed in his entire life. He had planned everything with so much care. He had even gone to see Marcel and ask him what Marco really liked and he was going to do exactly what Marcel had advised him to do: prove to Marco how much he really loved him. But, it wasn’t as easy when Marco hadn’t even given him a chance.

He stepped out on the front porch and leaned against the closed door. He wished it was the only thing that stood between Marco and him. But, it was about a lot more. He had lost Marco’s trust and love and he couldn’t blame anyone but himself. He had played with the pilot’s feelings and he wanted to make up for it, but, as things stood, he wasn’t going to get a chance.

Reality hit him very hard and he slid down to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chin and burying his head in his hands. He hadn’t wanted this. Everything had started so perfectly for them, maybe it had been too perfect. If Anne hadn’t intervened– but she had and she had already reached her goal: she had gotten between them. But no matter, how hard he tried, Erik couldn’t be mad at her. She had tried to ruin his life as much as she could, but he deserved it completely after taking away her only son from her.

He closed his eyes and started to sob silently. The shadows grew taller and the street lamps were turned on, but he stayed there on his boyfriend’s front porch, waiting for Marco’s decision. He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep, but he was startled awake by something hard poking into his flank.

“Erik! What are you doing here?” Marco exclaimed. Erik slowly opened his eyes. The sun was already up again. Erik sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, looking around clueless. He looked up at the blonde pilot staring at him through the narrow opening between the door and the doorframe.

“I wanted to be close when you made up your mind about us.” Erik shrugged and stood up, allowing Marco to open the door completely. The pilot though didn’t move. He stared at the brunette incredulously.

“Are you telling me that you’ve spent the whole night here at my front door?” His jaw dropped.

“Yes.” Erik said simply, dusting his jeans. “But I can leave if you want me to.”

“Come on in. Someone has filled my pantry and I will never be able to eat all that food alone.” Marco sighed after a moment of hesitation. He stepped out of the doorway and let the brunette in. Erik drew in a shaky breath as he crossed the threshold of Marco’s house. The roses had been brushed to one corner and were piled up into a heap. Erik quickly averted his gaze from them, otherwise he would have broken down crying. It felt as if Marco was treading on their love and on his affection for the blonde. Because god, he loved Marco so much! If only he could find a way to tell it to him!

“Marco, I’m so sorry–” He started, but the older one raised his hand and stopped him.

“Don’t try this, Erik. I’m not interested in your excuses. Have a breakfast and we will go our separate ways for the day.” Marco said coldly and his every word felt like a dagger thrust into Erik’s heart.

“So that’s it? You’ve made your decision? Is it over?” Erik’s lips trembled. His legs shook uncontrollably and he was afraid he would fall on the floor if Marco wanted to break up with him.

“I don’t know yet.” Marco sighed and slumped his shoulders. “Erik, you must understand, what you did to me is serious. It hurts and right now I’m not sure if I can forgive you.”

A tear fled Erik’s eye, but he was quick to wipe it away. He walked past Marco, into the kitchen. He needed to sit down immediately because his legs were about to give up supporting him. A new wave of despair washed over him when he saw the dining table that was almost untouched and looked the same as he had set it last evening. One plate and a set of cutleries were missing though.

“Did– did you like the dinner?”

“I couldn’t eat a bit of it.” Marco said. “I threw it out.”

“Marco!” Erik whined and ran to his boyfriend. He flung his arms around Marco’s slim waist and buried his head in the blonde’s chest. “Please, give me a chance. Let me tell you what I have to tell. You must listen to me!”

It hurt Marco to be so cold towards the young flight attendant, but he steeled himself and swallowed down his pain in a huge gulp. “Just like you listened to me?”

“Marco!” Erik looked up at him horrified, tears flowing from his eyes in an endless stream. “I’m so sorry! I haven’t given you a chance and I overreacted. But, when Anne called me and the things she had said–”

“I don’t care about that!” Marco snapped angrily and shoved Erik away from him. The brunette looked at him incredulously, finding it hard that he was treated so badly from the man who had only loved him so far. “It’s always Anne! It’s never you, right? Anne didn’t call me to tell me off! It was you and you can’t dodge the responsibility on her! You need to grow up, Erik and admit that it was _you_ who screwed it up and no one else. I want to date a man and not a child. You asked me to trust you and I did! And you misused that trust! Everything has had to be about you and you don’t even think I’m worthy of you sharing the most tragic experience in your life with me!”

“Do you want to hear it?” Erik asked suddenly. He was leaning against the wall and avoided looking at Marco. “Do you want to know why Anne hates me and why I hate myself?” He took a deep breath and finally looked Marco in the eyes. His eyes were wet from tears and full of sadness, sorrow, regret and pain. “Do you want to know how I killed my cousin?”


	44. Shadows of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very dark and sad update, I must warn you. But, I hope you will like it nonetheless and I can't wait to hear your opinion. You've been a wonderful audience and I can't thank you enough for your support! :-)

His boyfriend’s voice had held so much pain that Marco couldn’t possibly ask him to continue. He wasn’t even going to, because seeing the sobbing body of Erik, he wanted to do nothing else than take the younger one in his arms and soothe him, comfort him and convince him that it was fine, everything would be alright. He was going to do all that, but all strength failed him. He stayed a few steps away from Erik, watching as the brunette slowly tried to compose himself and then started to speak unprompted.

“After Dad died, Mom fell into depression and Anne took care of Lisa and me. She was completely different back then: happy and full of love. And Alex was the one helping me the most. I had worshipped my father, he had been my hero and to lose him was something I couldn’t have dealt with alone. I was crying for an entire day and Alex never left me. That summer, we became so close like only two brothers could be. And that’s how I saw him; the brother I’d never had.” Erik took a deep breath and his lips curved up into a faint smile as he recalled the nice memories of his cousin. His smile was the sweetest thing in the world Marco could imagine, even if it was somewhat overshadowed by Erik’s tears.

“And he was crazy about me, too. After that, we hung out together all the time, he came to the same school as me and we were an inseparable duo. Some even called us lovebirds, but we did not care. We understood each other perfectly even without words. He tried so hard to get into the circle of my friends. He stuck to me like a little puppy, but I actually enjoyed it. I needed to feel that I was important for someone and Alex reminded me of it every day.” He made a pause and Marco suspected that now he was going to start speaking about the not so pleasant memories.

“The guys loved him and sure, they teased him, but he took it with humor. And when we went to the Alps to ski for a week– he wanted to come with us.” His voice broke and his throat got dry. “Anne didn’t like the idea at all. Alex was only fifteen, after all. But, he somehow convinced her and he came with us. It was our last holiday with the ‘gang’ together and we wanted to have a good time. Maybe a too good time. The ski tour became kind of a drinking tour. Alex stayed out of it and he was very mad at me. Rightly so…” He mouthed; by this time, his voice was barely hearable and Marco had to take a faltering step towards him to recognize the words.

“I don’t know, why or how, but one day we actually went skiing and one of my friends took a bottle with him. We drank most of it and sat down next to a freestyle ski jump. The guys wanted to try it. They were amazing skiers and Alex wanted to copy them. He asked me if he could… and I only shrugged my shoulders.” He whined, breaking down in an even harder sobbing. Marco wanted him to stop; he couldn’t hear more of it, seeing how much pain it caused to the brunette. But, there was no turning back. It took Erik a few seconds to catch his breath and to be able to continue.

“Once he was up in the air, I saw immediately that something was wrong. He flipped and fell on the snow with head first.” Erik closed his eyes as if he was trying to get rid of the mental image of the accident. “The moment he hit the ground, I felt something hit me. The air was pushed out of my lungs and I couldn’t form a single thought. I was only staring at his body while the others rushed to him. There had been a special connection between us, and I didn’t need to go and see to know that no one could help Alex anymore.” Erik was shaking uncontrollably and there was a huge lump in Marco’s throat because he had forced the brunette to live through the experience again.

“He idolized me, Marco! If I had told him no, he wouldn’t have tried it! And that’s what Anne thinks and she is completely right. For years, I let her treat me like that because I know I deserve it and I thought of it as some kind of penitence. And when Anne called me and told me that you two talked and you told her to stop it– God, Marco, I was so stupid! I didn’t want to lose the only way by which I could punish myself! I’m so sorry– I should have spoken to you earlier! I should have told you about it!”

“Erik.” Marco croaked out because he had trouble speaking himself. He was by Erik’s side in two long leaps and he took the brunette in his arms. Erik leaned into the touch gratefully. He looked so vulnerable and fragile all of a sudden and Marco had already forgiven him for everything. He saw him as a broken human being who needed help.

“Marco, I was stupid! I’m so–”

“Shh, love. Don’t say anything. I know how you feel and I’m not mad at you.” Marco tightened his embrace and started to stroke Erik’s hair soothingly.

“Please, don’t leave me, babe!” Erik sobbed against Marco’s chest. “Since Alex’s death, my life has been shallow and I only pretended that I was happy. But, you changed that. I love you so much and I can’t imagine what I’d do if I lost you.”

“Erik, I’m right here and I won’t leave you.” Marco said, a tear escaping his eye. “But, you must stop this. You cannot justify everything with this trauma. It’s the past and you must let go of it. If you don’t, it will get in the way of your happiness and you deserve to be happy. I want to help you and I want you to be happy by my side.”

“Marco…” Erik looked up at him, with eyes red from all the crying. He wanted to say more, but words failed him. Marco didn’t mind it. He bent down and kissed Erik’s salty lips. Their kiss felt so different to their previous ones. For the first time, Marco didn’t feel like a second violinist behind Erik. The brunette felt so weak in his arms, but he didn’t want to exploit the situation. They were equal in their kiss and finally, Marco felt as if the last wall between them had fallen down. Together, they were going to overcome any other challenge, he was sure of that.


	45. Loving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with this story, I've had a kind of a writing slump lately and I haven't been feeling well, so hopefully this won't be too bad. Let me know, what you think of it. :-)

They stood motionless, leaning against the kitchen wall for almost an hour before Erik’s tears finally dried up. Marco was still overwhelmed by the younger one’s confession and he didn’t dare to move him. The brunette must have kept the story in its entirety for so many years that it had been eating him from the inside, ruining him slowly but surely. And now, as this demon came to the surface, it had to be a big burden off his shoulders and Marco didn’t want to rush him. Erik needed him to be patient and show him how much he loved and cared for him and he was going to do just that.

When he was sure that the brunette had composed himself, he slid his hands down Erik’s back and rested them on his hips, leading him outside to his back porch. The sun was already high up in the sky and the chilliness of the early summer dawns was gone completely. It was the perfect scenery for them right now, with everything green around them and birds tweeting in the trees. This was exactly what Marco loved in living in the suburbs; sometimes he couldn’t tell that he was living in one of Germany’s biggest cities. He gently pushed Erik down on a chair and although he had bought a matching one, he decided to sit in the brunette’s lap.

Erik stared blankly in front of himself, but he welcomed Marco’s closeness and quickly snaked his arms around the blonde’s slim waist. He pulled him closer and buried his face in Marco’s chest, breathing in his scent deeply as if he was afraid this was the last time he would feel him. Marco bent down and planted countless kisses on the top of Erik’s head, the brown tufts tickling his face. He wanted to drown Erik in his love. He wanted him to feel how much he meant to him and how much he wanted them to be happy by each other’s side. He wanted Erik to forget about his past and look forward to their future together and he wanted him to finally realize that he didn’t have to hold back anything from Marco, because he loved him and he knew that his love would survive anything Erik would tell him.

“Do you remember the first time we were here, babe?” Marco said softly and he could hear Erik’s huge gulp. It looked as if the brunette still hadn’t believed that Marco had forgiven him and he was expecting the blonde to suddenly break out yelling at him. “That evening, the sun might have gone down while we talked, but for me, you lit up the entire world. Back then, I made a secret promise to myself that no matter what would happen, I would stick to you and stand by your side. You’ve taught me to trust you and you showed me that you are a man I _can_ trust.”

“But– but I misused your trust. I– I should have trusted you the same way…” Erik stuttered, but Marco put his finger on his lips, hushing him.

“And you did, Erik.” He smiled at him. “Only, it took you a bit longer. I would lie to you if I said you hadn’t hurt me. When you hung up without giving me a chance, I was mad at you and I kept asking myself what I have done wrong. Then I started to blame you, because it just didn’t make sense. But then, I realized that things like this happen and we can’t avoid them completely. I don’t think anyone’s at fault, Erik. I’m not blaming you and I don’t want you to blame yourself. There are things we both could have done better and there are things we shouldn’t have done at all. But that’s what romances are about, right? Letting go of the trivia and the past and just look forward. To forgive and love.”

“Marco.” Erik whispered. “I don’t know what to say…”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Marco turned to him and pushed him back on the recliner. He held himself up on one hand and drew soothing circles on Erik’s chest with the other. “Just forget about punishing yourself. We are all human, we make mistakes. There’s no point in self-pity. Don’t let the past make you miss the present. Because I don’t want to lose you, Erik. Since the moment I saw you, I wanted to be with you and I knew immediately that this wasn’t just like any other relationship.”

“Marco…” Erik croaked out, new tears welling up in his eyes.

“Please promise me that you will try to be the best boyfriend you can be and I will do the same.” The blonde finally said what had been on his mind ever since the brunette had broken out in tears.

“I will, Marco.” Erik held his waist firmly. “And I will be more than that. You make my world whole and my life meaningful. I want to share every moment of my life with you because you make every breath I take worth living and every second I spend with you is sweeter than any fresh fruit in the summer. And I was a fool for almost pushing you away.”

“Sh.” Marco put a finger on the younger one’s lips. “No dwelling on the past, remember?” He smirked. “The whole world is ours, Erik. We should see it together and the day after tomorrow, we can start doing it. I hear that Toronto is very nice at this time of the year.”

Erik’s eyes and face lit up as he thought of the month ahead of them, and a wide and mischievous grin spread across his face. “That sounds great” he said “, but I’d like to focus on these two days, first.”


	46. Picnic for Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Blue Night, you wanted more of Mario and Julian and you get them in this chapter, although maybe not the way you would have liked it. :-) Dear readers, please enjoy the update and don't hesitate to share your thoughts. :-)

“And where would you like us to start?” Marco smiled in Erik’s lap. His heart beat faster than ever before and he wanted to cheer from the sheer joy he felt. The brunette bit down on his lip, musing over their next step and then a twinkle appeared in his beautiful hazel eyes that told Marco that he had an idea.

“Well, if I remember correctly, you promised be a breakfast that I haven’t gotten.” He said with a mischievous smile on his face. Marco’s smile vanished though and he gulped audibly, a feeling of guilt creeping into his heart. It felt so far ago when he let his boyfriend in reluctantly, treating him in a way he wouldn’t have treated a complete stranger. Erik noticed his bad conscience and he pulled him closer to him, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss. “It’s okay, babe. Just the future, remember?” He whispered and Marco simply had to chuckle seeing those puppy eyes so full of love.

“Okay, but I have a much better idea.” He stood up and helped Erik up, too. “It’s such a lovely weather, why don’t we go out for a picnic?”

“Wow, that would be perfect!” Erik shouted excited, sharing Marco’s enthusiasm.

“Okay, but first, you should take a shower. I get the food ready in the meantime.” Marco said. “No offence, but after the night at my front door, you are a bit dirty.”

“Oh, really?” Erik spanked Marco’s ass playfully. “And you don’t even know how sore my back is. I just hope your _back door_ is a much more pleasant place.” He said very ambiguously, passing Marco who was left speechless.

By the time Marco packed everything he thought they would need in a large basket he had gotten from his mother a few years ago, Erik emerged fresh from the bathroom, wearing some of Marco’s clothes.

“Sorry, all of mine were crumpled. Don’t you remember who put them away the last time?” He asked teasingly but Marco couldn’t be angry with him. He was so glad to be back where they had been at the start of their relationship: teasing each other and taking the other one’s words humorously.

“You can take on that responsibility from now on, then.” Marco hit back and grabbed Erik’s hand.

The city bus was full of young couples planning to do exactly what Marco and Erik. It really was a warm summer morning. Everyone wanted to enjoy some time on the fresh air before the sun would heat everything to an unbearable temperature. They got off the bus next to a small park and they tried to find the best spot for them before someone else would take it. Just when Marco was about to lay down the blanket on the grass, he heard the voice of the last man he wanted to meet right now.

“Marco! Erik! Over here!” A cheerful cry called them and Erik quickly spun in its direction.

“Mario! What are you doing here?” He asked surprised.

“Just what you are about to do. Come, join us.” The barman waved at them and Marco stopped mid motion. Erik stepped to him and grabbed the basket with their breakfast.

“Would it be too rude if we quickly turned around and ran away?” Marco mumbled under his breath and Erik laughed out loud wholeheartedly.

“Yeah, I think so.” The brunette swung his arm around Marco’s waist and nudged him towards the other couple. “It might be fun.”

They walked to the two lovebirds and Marco had no other words to describe them. There was no surprise in Mario’s cheerful grin, but he could barely recognize Julian. The young pilot’s usually sour and unreadable expression was completely gone and he radiated happiness from every cell of his body and his cheeks had turned red during their picnic.

“Good morning!” Erik greeted them as they sat down.

“Erik, why didn’t you call me? I could have given you a lift.” Mario scolded him.

“You know, it was a sudden idea.” Marco shrugged. “Sunshine, peace, a romantic breakfast in private…” He added, hoping that Mario would get the hint. He really should have known better.

“Yeah, it’s the same here.” Mario pulled Julian closer and brought a strawberry to his lips. Julian bit into it, the juice running down on his cheeks, before Mario grabbed it with his tongue. Marco felt as if he was going to puke and he rolled his eyes. Erik was quick to notice his annoyance and he put a hand on his shoulder, giving him an encouraging squeeze and handing him a bun from the basket. Marco accepted it gratefully and he bit into it with all his anger, crumbs flying around in all directions.

“So where are you flying next time, Julian?” Erik inquired between two gulps.

“Nowhere this month.” The young man nodded proudly. “I’m doing my exams to become a co-pilot instead of a rookie.”

“Wow, that’s wonderful news!” Erik congratulated him.

“Yeah, he is my boy.” Mario patted his boyfriend’s back, starting another retch at Marco. Seriously, everyone knew they were together, there was no point in proving it every single second.

“Thank you.” Julian smiled shyly. “Someone must have put in a few good words.” He sent a sidelong glance at Marco, but the blonde only waved away his gratitude.

“You deserved it, Julian. I just did what I had to do.” He snickered. “But don’t you think that you can bump Thomas from his position, he is my all-time co-pilot!” Marco laughed.

“Of course not, you two are an inseparable duo.” Julian joined him.

“So Erik, I gather you two made up.” Mario asked, unable to endure that he wasn’t in the middle of attention for a minute.

“Yes, thanks for asking.” Erik snapped, maybe a bit angrier than Marco had thought him to be.

“Chill out, I’m happy for you.” Mario held up his hands defensively. “You know what? Now that we met each other like this, why don’t we play some game?”

Marco rolled his eyes again and he wanted to shoot himself. He already knew Mario too well to hope that he could be talked out of his plans. He frowned and looked at the man who had ruined his perfect morning ready to kill him.


	47. How Deep is Your Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kept growing and growing and I just couldn't stop. I just hope you won't mind it and you will be as lost reading it as I was while writing it.  
> Dear GoForGoals, I know how much you are waiting for Marco's special night. I hope this chapter will help you endure that waiting. :-)

“I’m telling you he did that on purpose!” Marco continued his rant after they closed the door of his house. They had just survived the world’s most horrible picnic, the world’s most embarrassing game of Mario’s very special ‘how much do you know about your boyfriend?’ and the world’s most awkward drive home. Really, it hadn’t been a game at all – Mario had simply needed a way to prove what a wonderful couple they had been with Julian. And he had succeeded, much to Marco’s annoyance. But, Erik didn’t seem to mind; he only smiled amused to himself, chuckling inwardly at the blonde’s rambling.

“He just wanted to prove that I’m a horrible boyfriend, although I have no idea why he would want that. I mean, why should I know if you like olives or not? Or what is your dream destination for a holiday?” He looked for some reassurance from Erik. The brunette thought that this entire outburst was comical, but he decided to play along.

“You are completely right.” It was only giving fuel to the fire that was already becoming a forest fire on its own.

“And the best moment! How should I know when you lost your virginity? And how does he know?”

“He he.” Erik snickered. “Because he was the one to take it.” He admitted blushing and it finally stopped Marco.

“What?” He snapped.

“Do you want to hear about it?” Erik asked sincerely.

“No.” Marco shook his head, remembering the original reason for his upset. “But of course, they knew everything about each other. If you ask me, it is not normal, either. I could see how embarrassed poor Julian was. I guess if I had asked Mario when Julian hit his big toe for the last time, he would have known that, too.”

“Or he would have come up with an answer and Jule would have agreed with him about it.” Erik finally had enough of Marco’s complaints and he decided to open his eyes for the rude play that had been played on him. “Although, I still don’t understand your indignation. It was a stupid game and you know it. There’s no reason to feel upset about it. Only, if Mario’s intention succeeded and he did manage to persuade you that you are somehow not good enough for me.”

Marco quickly shot down his eyes because that was exactly how he felt. He almost thought that he knew nothing about Erik and it shouldn’t have been like this, not after dating him for a month. He didn’t want to know everything about the brunette, but after their row, he couldn’t know for sure how many more secrets Erik still held.

“That is bullshit, Marco!” Erik now scolded him and rightly so. Even Marco knew that he had overreacted and his reaction hadn’t been called for. “I don’t care about what Mario thinks about us! It was just his little trick to make you feel bad about our row because he knows nothing about its background. Seriously, Marco, we are all different and want our relationships to be different. I get it, you are not the one who wants to know everything about me after a month and I think you are right. Just imagine if we couldn’t tell anything new to each other! That would be pretty dull, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, it would.” Marco nodded. “But, do you think we know each other well enough? I mean, I don’t want to point at you, but you told me your biggest secret only today.”

“Marco.” Erik sighed exhausted. He stepped to the blonde and pulled him closer, looking deep into his eyes. “There’s plenty of time for us to share every little secret with each other. I already know the most important thing about us: we love each other. That’s all that matters to me right now. Let Mario play his stupid games. If he thinks he is any better than you, so be it. I chose you and I did that for a reason.” He saw that his words had had their effect because Marco started to grin like a madman, relieved and Erik had a sudden idea to make his day even better. “And I know another secret of yours.” He drawled, making his boyfriend even more curious. “When I took a shower this morning, I realized that your bathroom was missing something.”

“What was it?” Marco asked startled, going over a list of items in his head. Erik leaned closer to him, his lips practically touching the blonde’s ear.

“ _You_.” He purred and it made Marco shiver. Erik put his hand on his groin just to make sure that it wasn’t the only reaction he got from the blonde and he smiled satisfied with himself before he dragged his boyfriend in said room’s direction.

Marco followed him with a widening grin on his face and by the time they reached the bathroom, he had pulled the zipper on his jeans down and the reason was obvious: they simply felt too tight for his boner that was now clearly visible through his white boxer shorts. Erik snickered and decided to stop teasing his beautiful boyfriend and he quickly got rid of his own T-shirt first and then Marco’s followed it onto a growing heap on the tiled floor.

“God, I love you so much.” Marco gasped, his lust and sheer need audible in his words. His hands touched Erik’s bare and warm chest. He reached forward for the brunette’s lips, but Erik had other plans. He ducked away from Marco’s attempt and pressed his lips on the blonde’s shoulder and started to suck on the skin. Marco moaned and hissed, Erik’s mouth sucking out the last bits of any sense from him. His manhood twitched and he was sure that it was going to tear through the last offending garment that covered it. He let his jeans fall down and pool around his ankles before he stepped out from them.

Erik wandered lower, his lips now wrapped around Marco’s hard nipple and his tongue caressing this very sensitive part of his body. The pilot didn’t try to withhold his high-pitched pants any longer. They now echoed in the almost empty room. The pre-come that Erik’s ardent kisses milked from him was now soaking his underpants and he swore that if his boyfriend didn’t take pity on him in the next few seconds, he would take matters into his own hands. As if Erik was reading his thoughts, he reached for Marco’s waistbands and pulled down the last piece of clothing covering his body with a swift movement, Marco’s cock bobbing up and down from the joy of being free. The bathroom’s air felt suddenly too cold for him and Marco wished that Erik would take his aching shaft in his mouth, giving him some sort of comfort.

But, the brunette had other plans. He stood up, pressed their lips together and while kissing Marco, he got rid of his own jeans. The blonde pilot noticed from behind a mist that his boyfriend hadn’t worn any underwear the entire day, but he was too preoccupied with said man’s tongue claiming his mouth to give any further thought to it. Their dicks met and Erik wrapped his soft hands around both of them, picking up a slow rhythm. Marco gasped and panted and sighed. It seemed they weren’t going to have a quickie here. And what little contact he had found, he lost it the next moment with Erik drawing back his hand and nudging him towards the shower stall that could accommodate both of them.

Marco started the hot water and the hot streams started to massage their bodies. The temperature jumped high in a split second and Marco started to sweat but he couldn’t care about it, because Erik kept kissing him and at the same time kneaded his butt cheeks. The sensation was almost too much for him and then he realized how much he wanted this man.

“Erik.” He pulled back against his better judgement. “I want you to take me.” He panted with dilated eyes and Erik looked back at him with his tender and loving ones.

“Marco, no.” He smiled and Marco couldn’t suppress his frustrated groan. “I want that first time to be special. You still feel bad about the morning and this game and I would always think that you gave yourself to me only because of that. I want to take you only when you are truly ready and only when you really mean it.” Marco sighed because he had really meant it. But, there was some sense in what Erik had told him.

“But, maybe we can make the first step, if you want to.” Erik suggested and Marco wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. “Turn around, babe.” He whispered and Marco did as he was told. He was now facing the wall of the stall, with the water pouring right on him. “Put your foot up here.” Erik instructed him, pointing at the built-in seat and Marco was getting some sort of idea what he was trying to accomplish and the realization sent him even wilder than he had already been.

“Is it okay?” Erik asked shyly.

“More than that.” Marco nodded with closed eyes, anticipating Erik’s gentle ministration. He had to wait a bit longer because the brunette grabbed the shower hose, adjusted the water’s temperature and brought it to Marco’s backside. The blonde startled by the unusual feeling and tensed immediately. Erik turned away the stream and soothed him with his hands.

“Shh, relax. Don’t fight it, it will be very enjoyable if you do so.” He said. “Will you give it another try?” Marco only nodded and this time, he forgot about anything else apart from Erik’s words and to his surprise, after the first few seconds, he actually loosened up, accepting the water. The drops massaged him in a strange way and he realized that he enjoyed it. More than that, he wanted more of the same.

And Erik gave him more. He stopped the water and moistened his fingers with his saliva. He brought them to Marco’s rosebud and circled it with soft touches, gradually pressing stronger against the blonde’s entrance. Marco’s instincts told him to clench up and fight against the digits ready to enter him. But, he couldn’t do it. The water had loosened him up and it felt as if he was breathing into his tight hole, widening it even more. And then, Erik slid inside with one digit.

Marco had bottomed only once in his life, back in his teens, with an equally unexperienced classmate. The boy had taken him with no preparation and that time, he had almost choked on the tears he had held back, biting down hard on his pillow to survive the nasty intrusion. This here felt so different that Marco couldn’t believe that this was practically the same thing. Erik’s one finger slid in and out of him without meeting any resistance and with every thrust, the brunette reached deeper.

“Are you alright?” Erik asked concerned and the answer he got was Marco’s satisfied moan. He was now discovering new pleasures, pleasures he had never experienced.

Erik swirled his finger in him and soon, he added another digit, enabling him deeper thrusts. Now he was stretching Marco’s tight hole and the blonde found it strange, but not hurtful for a single moment. Actually, he found himself moving into Erik’s thrusts, urging him to reach deeper, to explore him more thoroughly. Erik did so and when he touched a very special spot in Marco’s body, the pilot thought that his world exploded.

“Whoa! Careful there!” Erik quickly grabbed him with his other hand because he had slipped, lost in his pleasure.

“Erik, this is so– so–”

“Shh, enjoy it, babe.” Erik snickered, obviously satisfied with himself, his fingers still deep in Marco.

“Do. It. Again.” Marco panted and the next second, the world darkened around him again, this time for much longer. Erik started to rub his fingertips on that special place and Marco’s dick twitched until his muscles clenched and he was barely able to stop himself.

“Erik, I think I’m going to–” He said startled because he thought something was wrong with him. He had never had problems with his endurance and he couldn’t imagine that it was Erik’s ministration that got this reaction out of him.

“It’s okay. Let go.” Erik purred and thrust into Marco one final time, hitting the blonde’s prostate with full force.

Time stood still for what seemed like an eternity but it still was too short for Marco’s liking. The muscles in his cock contracted to a point that was almost painful. And then, the white proof of the best orgasm of his life exploded from him, painting the stall’s wall in front of him in endless jets, dribbling down slowly, giving in to the force of gravity. Marco had to push against the walls with his hands to stop himself from falling down and when he came back to his senses, Erik had already pulled out his fingers, leaving his hole gaping for something to fill him.

The brunette pressed a quick peck on each of his butt cheeks before he took him in his arms and helped him out of the shower stall. Marco didn’t know what was happening to him, the aftermaths of his forceful climax not releasing him. It felt as if he was watching his own life through a dimmed screen. Finally, the soft towel rubbing against his skin as Erik dried him up, brought him back to life.

“This was…” He let the words hang in the air because he couldn’t find the right way to describe what he had just experienced.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“…magical.” He finally found the right expression.

“I’m not a wizard, Marco.” Erik let out a wholehearted laugh. “I just know what feels good to me. I guessed you would share my opinion.”

“I do.” Marco panted, still dazed. “Um, will it– I mean, when you take me for real… will it be this good?” He asked sheepishly. He just couldn’t imagine that there could be so much difference between two experiences of the same thing.

“No, my dear.” Erik said, embracing him tightly. “It will be better.”


	48. See the World with Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot for the next few chapters is completely ready so you can expect faster updates in the next days because it will be a long storyline and I feel very motivated to write it. This chapter might seem pointless, but I needed to introduce a new character and set the story for the next chapters. Hope you will enjoy it, let me know what you think of it. :-)

Marco had been right; they had had the most wonderful two days in Erik’s life. And the blonde seemed to have forgiven Mario, too, because the four of them had gone for a dinner and it hadn’t been awkward at all. Maybe it had had to do with Julian’s disapproving looks he had shot Mario whenever he had said an ambiguous remark, but it was a detail Erik didn’t really care about. They finally loved each other again and they didn’t want to hide it.

He almost hated that they had to go to work, but Marco’s presence was the perfect compensation for him. The pilot had promised him that they would have a great time all month long and Erik trusted him. Whatever Marco said, he could easily believe it. He needed to have the blonde man by his side all the time and Marco had rarely left him. They had spent their two days of rest in his house where Erik had made himself very comfortable and it almost felt like they were already living together.

The morning of their flight to Canada, Thomas picked them up. Marco’s co-pilot greeted the fact that they left the house together with a wide grin. Marco was annoyed by it, but Erik didn’t mind it at all; there was no ill will behind Thomas’ amusement. He was only happy for them and Erik didn’t see anything bad about it. And there was nothing that could bring them down. The brunette was sure that they could stand Anne, too, but he was glad that they would have a month without her, even though he had promised himself that he would talk to her soon. He simply had to close the past, just like Marco had said.

At the airport, they went their separate ways. Erik let out a huge sigh. If there was something he hated about his job, it was his colleagues. Chatty flight attendants were his complete nightmare and he had the opportunity to meet a lot of them. He readied himself for a few hours of constant headache, but he noticed relieved that there was another man standing in the circle of their cabin crew. He looked completely lost and Erik stepped to him immediately.

“Hey! Flying to Toronto?” He asked with a wide smile. He needed to practice it for their passengers, although he was sure that with his happiness, feigning joy wouldn’t be much of a problem.

“Yeah.” The man with the dark, almost black hair turned around startled. He measured Erik with his eyes, in the end obviously satisfied with what he saw. “I’m Jonas.”

“Erik.” He accepted Jonas’ handshake. “Welcome to the crew.”

“Is it always this noisy around here?” He jerked his head towards the girls gossiping next to them.

“Usually.” Erik snickered. He already liked this guy. “Hey, can I buy you a coffee?”

“Thanks, but I don’t drink coffee.” Jonas shook his head.

“Okay. Then, can I invite you to watch me drinking coffee?” Erik asked and his newest friend started to chuckle.

They spent the time until their boarding talking and when they walked to the gate to listen to their pilot’s briefing (said pilot kept staring at Erik the entire time), it felt as if they had known each other for years. They had clicked immediately and Erik was grateful to find a new friend at work. Marco had Thomas and also Julian, but Erik was left with no one. Cabin crews were changed more often than flight crews and it didn’t help long lasting friendships. Maybe this month was going to be better than he had expected.

 

It started well, indeed. They had a peaceful fight and their accommodation couldn’t have been better. He shared a room with Jonas, but Marco didn’t give him a lot of time to rest. He came for him and grabbed his hand before he could protest, keeping his promise to show him Toronto. And once again, Marco had been right; the city was truly wonderful. The air was surprisingly warm and the streets were filled with people. Erik rarely looked around in the cities they flew to. He was too tired after their flights and he stayed in his hotel room he usually didn’t have to share with anyone or had to share with a complete stranger.

But now, the blonde pilot didn’t take no for an answer and they spent their day visiting Toronto’s landmarks. Erik loved American cities and he realized that Canadian cities were twice as good. There was always a park nearby and yet, he could hear that the city was living its own life around them.

“How did you like our little tour?” Marco asked him. They were sitting on a bench in a park, Erik’s head resting on Marco’s shoulder while the pilot was finishing his hot dog.

“It was wonderful.” Erik whispered, trying hard not to fall asleep from exhaustion. Marco’s scent enveloped him and he wanted to lie down in the older man’s lap and sleep there.

“And it was you who made it perfect.” Marco said. The brunette looked up at him questioningly. “In the past years, I have had the opportunity to see the world and I didn’t do it. Because, I didn’t see any reason to do it. And I just realized what I was missing. Someone to share the world with. But now, I have you.” Marco smiled and Erik was so touched by his confession that he couldn’t say anything.

So he only reached forward and kissed the blonde. He tasted of junk food, but behind that, Erik could feel the taste that was so Marco. The pilot welcomed his tongue and they started a passionate dance, licking and swirling their tongues, deepening their kiss until they lost themselves in the sensation. And despite they were thousands of miles away from it, Erik felt as if he was home.

They broke the contact gasping for air, but their minds were still fogged by their wonderful kiss so neither of them could care about the clouds gathering above their heads.


	49. Thunderbolts and Lightning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You had to wait a bit longer than I had imagined, but I promise that you won't have to wait this long for the next update. I think that after reading this chapter, that would be too much to ask from you and I hope you will agree with me on this once you read this update. But whatever you think, please make sure to share it with me, I'm very interested in your opinion. :-)

The next morning, it seemed that nature wanted to contradict their mood. The warm sunshine gave way for rain clouds and an awfully cold north wind blew in the streets, making most of the people stay in their homes. Things didn’t get any better throughout the day and just a few hours before their takeoff was due, a roaring thunderbolt started a storm Erik had never seen before. He watched anxiously the weather outside from the airport’s waiting room for airplane crews, sending a sidelong glance at Marco now and then. The pilot sensed his worries and he soon joined him next to the window.

“What’s wrong, darling?” He asked so tenderly that the warmth in his voice would have melted even a heavy snowfall.

“Will we take off in this ungodly weather?” Erik asked concerned, leaning against the strong frame of his boyfriend’s body.

“We’ll see. So far, the tower didn’t signal any delays and planes have been landing pretty smoothly– considering the circumstances. The rain isn’t really the problem, it all depends on the wind. If it stays like this, we might be able to depart. We’ll know in a few minutes.” Marco squeezed his hands reassuringly.

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Erik whispered.

“Flying is always dangerous, Erik. But, you know, so far every plane that had taken off had come down, too.” He joked, but he realized immediately that it wasn’t the right time for it. Some pilots said that you were asking for trouble if you talked about crashing before taking off. A stupid superstition Marco had never cared about, but the constant lightings outside made him reconsider his opinion. “I will bring us home, don’t worry.”

“My father got into a storm.” Erik said suddenly. “When he died.”

“Erik, you don’t have to worry. If the situation gets too bad for flying, they won’t let us take off. And both Thomas and I are experienced pilots. We could fly through such a storm on our own, but combined, there won’t be any problems. I promise.” He smiled at the brunette and it finally made Erik sigh in relief, but his throat clenched again when they were asked to get ready for boarding.

“Come on!” Marco nudged him. “And don’t forget: as long as Thomas and I are in the cockpit, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you.” Erik purred as they walked to their colleagues. He sought Jonas’ presence immediately as they gathered around Marco to listen to his instructions.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen. I think we’ve all flown in bad weather, so this is no extraordinary situation. The reports say that the storm won’t get any worse and we will be in contact with air control and we will make a decision together about taking off. Please bear in mind that our passengers will be scared, too, so I’d like you to keep calm at all costs. And now let’s go!” He spoke with such confidence that Erik’s doubts were completely dispelled and the other flight attendants seemed relieved, too.

 

“You gave a nice little speech back there.” Thomas said after he closed the cockpit’s door.

“We’ve been through worse.” Marco shrugged. He sat down to check all the instruments and indicators and double-check them. If any single one of them was down, they had a reason to stay on the ground and Marco would have welcomed that.

“You don’t have to be the strong boyfriend for me, Marco.” Thomas half-snapped. “I’ve flown with you for the past year and I remember every single flight and this is some serious shit.”

“Are you afraid, Thomas?” Marco shot a cutting glance at him. He understood the seriousness of the situation and he needed a completely focused co-pilot. This time, Thomas couldn’t afford the luxury of his what someone might call carelessness.

“No. I just don’t want to take unnecessary risks.” He said firmly.

“And we won’t. Now check the electric system, please.” Marco returned to their procedure.

 

In the end, they took off swiftly and without any problems. Marco had hoped that the clouds would dissipate, but they didn’t. At least the wind calmed down as they reached higher altitudes. The rain kept drumming on the windshield and the flashes of lightning hit their eyes over and over again.

“Whoa!” Thomas cried out after a sudden shaking of the plane.

“Hey, man, it was just a turbulence.” Marco chuckled. His forehead was soaking wet from sweat because he needed to concentrate very hard constantly. There was no way they could use autopilot in this weather. They were in contact with air control all the time, trying to negotiate a safe route through the storm. “No need to worry.”

“It’s not that.” Thomas said and Marco looked at him.

“You aren’t looking very well. Are you alright?”

“Not really. But, it will get better soon, I’m sure of it.” Thomas nodded. “It must be something I’ve eaten.”

“Shit!” Marco cried out as a burningly bright light blinded them for a split second. “Lightning?”

“Probably.” Thomas groaned, holding his stomach. Marco rang the flight attendants and a chirping voice answered his call.

“Yes, captain?”

“We’ve been hit by a lightning.” He said calmly. “Could you please check the cabin if there are any damages?”

They waited anxiously for the report for a few minutes. “Apart from a few passengers scared, everything seems fine.”

“Great.” Marco nodded. “Please inform them that we will experience more turbulence.”

“Shouldn’t we turn back?” Thomas asked him once he turned off the mic.

“And fly through what’s behind us? No way. We will be out of this storm soon.” Marco said determined. “How are you doing?”

“Okay, I guess.” Thomas said, but his facial expression told something else. His face turned even whiter as the plane started to shake again. “Marco? I think I’m going to–”

He didn’t finish his sentence. He sprung up from his seat, ready to storm out of the cockpit, but he fell on the floor before the door, getting rid of his stomach’s contents.

“This is fucking perfect!” Marco groused. “Air control, this is flight LH 485. We have a smaller problem up here. My co-pilot is sick and can’t perform his duties.”

“Marco, I’m fine.” Thomas croaked out, trying to get himself together.

“Shut up and stay on the floor!” Marco snapped at him.

“This is air control. LH 485, can you proceed with your flight?”

“Probably yes, but I’d gladly take an emergency landing.”

“You are already above the ocean and you should get out of that storm in an hour. I advise you to stay up in the air and continue. Have you found out if the lightning caused any damage?”

“No damage that we know of. The plane is alright and– Shit!” He cried out as he glanced over the indicators.

“What’s wrong, LH 485?”

“My indicators are way off. The circuits must have gone crazy from the bolt.” For a few seconds, only whispering came from the other end of the line and Marco knew it didn’t mean anything good.

“LH 485, is there anyone on board with pilot experience?”

“Yes, there is.” Marco called the flight attendants again, and this time a very familiar voice answered his call.

“Yes?”

“Erik, I need you in the cockpit. Thomas will let you in. Bring Jonas and a mop or something with you!” He said quickly, not caring about staying calm. Now they had reason to panic.


	50. Flying Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to update as quickly as I could, in the end it took me longer than I would have liked, but anyways, here it is, I hope you will enjoy it. Let me know what you think about the new chapter. :-)

The wave of panic that washed over Marco vanished as suddenly as it had come when Erik knocked on the door. He needed his best form and he couldn’t make the right decision while panicking and fearing for his and his passengers’ lives. Plus, the sight of a shocked pilot was the last thing Erik needed to see right now and Marco needed him at his best, too. Thomas groaned as he sat up to be able to reach the door handle as he let in the two flight attendants.

“What the–” Erik started but he was left out of words.

“Jonas, could you please take Thomas to the galley? I presume our passengers wouldn’t like to see him like this. And if you could mop up his mess, it’s getting stinky in here.” Marco said without looking back. He couldn’t afford to look away from the dashboard.

“Marco, I’m sorry. Just give me a few minutes and I–” Thomas muttered, but Marco cut him short angrily.

“Spare it, Thomas. We will talk about it once you are better!” He snapped, then changed his tone immediately as he addressed the next man. “Erik, could you come here, please?”

“Yes?” The brunette made a few faltering steps and he stopped next to Marco.

“There’s a headset in Thomas’ seat. I need you to put it on.” He allowed himself a quick pleading glance.

“Marco, what’s going on?” Erik asked worried, but he obeyed nonetheless and he sat down in the seat next to the blonde.

“We’ve got struck by a lightning.”

“Thanks for pointing it out. I fucking noticed it! I almost shit my pants!” Erik cried out and Marco realized just how scared he was. And who could blame him? He had lost his father because of such a horrible weather. Marco would have embraced him and rocked him until he would calm down, but he couldn’t let go of the yoke so he trusted his tender voice and that it would be enough to compose his young boyfriend.

“Erik. It’s alright. Everything is going to be fine, I just need your assistance. A few not so important instruments went crazy because of the bolt, so I need you to provide me the needed information. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Erik snapped and he wasn’t in a better mood at all. “How can you be so calm?” He breathed heavily and Marco mused if he was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Erik, you can help me. You are the only one who can.” Marco repeated and it finally seemed to have an effect on the brunette.

“But I’m not a pilot. I don’t know what these buttons mean. And my eyes are not good enough to pilot a plane.”

“And all that mean nothing up here.” Marco said firmly. “I believe in you, Erik. We can do it, I will tell you everything you need to know.”

“Okay.” Erik nodded much to Marco’s relief. “What do I have to do?”

“First of all, don’t press any buttons, okay?” Marco said. Probably not the right way to start giving instructions to a scared co-pilot.

“Fair enough.” Erik nodded.

“Next, check my instruments and the ones before you. Maybe, at least one of each is working.” Marco said.

“My CDI is working.” Erik said after inspecting the dashboard. It wasn’t a very important instrument, they could get the information in other ways, but it was something.

“LH 485, we’ve found a quick and safe route for you out of the storm.” Air control yelled into their ears and Erik jumped in his seat, startled.

“Have they been listening to us?” He gaped, sending a scolding glance at Marco. _You should have warned me,_ his eyes said.

“Yeah, get used to it.” Marco shrugged. No one was going to blame Erik for objecting at first, it was completely natural of him and Marco didn’t find it to be something the brunette should worry about or be ashamed of. “Air control, do you want us to take all the way to Frankfurt?”

“Are you requesting an emergency landing?”

Marco started to think hard. Erik stared at him with fear and hope in his eyes. They could make a turn and land at the nearest airport, but that would mean flying through the storm again and Marco wanted to avoid it. Some airports might have been closed because of the weather and he didn’t want to circle around. The route that was sent to them would take them out of the storm in half an hour and after that, they could fly easily in a nice weather – hopefully. He considered the risks and the possible outcomes and he sent a final reassuring glance at Erik before he answered.

“No. We’re going to make it to Frankfurt.” He said as firmly as he could.

 

A few minutes later, Jonas came back, sent by Thomas, and this time, the blonde co-pilot had a great idea. Marco had completely forgotten about the back-up instrument panel at the end of the cockpit that used an own electric system. The three of them maneuvered the plane out of the storm and once the wind stopped, Marco could finally turn the auto-pilot on for a bit and he sent Jonas back to the passengers.

“Air control, I think there are problems with the radio connection.” He said and turned the radio off, much to Erik’s bewilderment.

“What? Are you allowed to do that?”

“Not really.” Marco chuckled. “But I don’t want them to hear this.” He leaned over and kissed Erik, finding new energy in the contact as he deepened the kiss before pulling back. “Thank you, Erik. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“We’re not home yet.” Erik warned him and this time, Marco took his concerns seriously. He turned back to the yoke and switched the radio on.

“Air control, can you hear us now?”

“Yes. It seems that it was just a temporary disconnection. You did a great job, LH 485.”

 

Erik hadn’t needed to worry. Marco put down the plane a few hours later and the cheer of the passengers was much louder and sincere than usually. He saw as Erik blushed because it was addressed at him as much as it was at Marco. Once they parked at the gate, Marco let out a huge sigh and he leaned against Erik’s strong body. He was completely worn out and he couldn’t wait until they would get to bed.

“Marco, I’m so proud of you.” Erik soothed him as they made their way out of the cockpit. “I’ll go get my bag, okay?”

He started off towards the galley and Marco followed him. They met Thomas on the way. The co-pilot looked still very weak and he needed Jonas’ support, but Marco could see that he was going to get better.

“Marco, Erik, let me congratulate to you. You were amazing!”

“Shut up!” Marco snapped at him and he pushed him to the corridor’s wall. “Don’t you ever do this to me again, understood?!” Thomas looked back at him completely horrified by Marco’s temper. “And now go home and get well soon!” Marco smiled at him and patted his shoulder.

They were the last ones to leave the plane and they walked carefree to the waiting room, close to each other. Marco felt the urge to pull Erik even closer to him and to fling his hand around the brunette’s waist but they had agreed to keep their relationship at home as much as possible.

“Once we get home, we are going to order some delicious food, take a nice hot bath and then maybe–” He whispered his plans into Erik’s ear, but he was cut short by an authoritative voice.

“Mr. Reus?” They spun around quickly and looked at the man in black suit measuring them. “I’m Kirch from the National Aviation Administration. We are going to have a little chat about this flight, shall we?”


	51. The Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of talking in this chapter, but hopefully it will be interesting enough for you. Also, I must emphasize that I did not mean to make Olli Kirch a negative character, you should remember that he is only doing his job and his job being what it is should be annoying and offensive sometimes. Hopefully, you will like this update, let me know what you think of it. :-)

Erik froze in his place as he stared at the agent in front of them. They had just landed and Marco couldn’t have had a harder day. Was he serious about this? Did he really want to question him right now? Marco had done everything well, this couldn’t be true! Anger rose in him and he wanted to shout at the agent and tell him off. He deserved to spend time alone with Marco and no one was going to take it away from him.

“B–but I don’t understand.” He stammered. His voice sounded much weaker than intended. “Why can’t you wait for his usual report?”

“Because he almost crashed a plane full of passengers and I don’t see any reason why you should protect him. It’s not like he is your boyfriend, right?” There was something vicious in the words hissed through his teeth and his last comment was so mocking that Erik wondered for a minute if it was just a lucky guess or a threat.

“Okay, I think we don’t have to use this tone!” Marco stepped between them, protecting his boyfriend with not only his words, but with his body, too. “Of course I will go with you. It’s better to be done with these things. Erik, thank you for your help again, we will see each other soon.”

“There’s no need for weepy goodbyes.” Agent Kirch noted dryly. “You’re coming with us!” He nodded towards Erik and the brunette had never wished more that he was invisible.

“Me?” He stammered. “Why?”

“You were the one flying that plane in the absence of the appointed co-pilot, right?” Kirch measured him as if he couldn’t quite believe that Erik was capable of such.

“Yes, it is so.” Erik said.

“Then, follow me!” He said and turned around, headed towards one of the offices nearby. Erik looked at Marco and the blonde looked back at him, reassuring him. He reached for his hand and squeezed it before he started off after the agent who was already standing in a doorway waiting for them impatiently.

The room didn’t have much furniture: a table, a lamp and three chairs. _Everything was ready for their interrogation_ , Erik realized. His knees turned into jelly all of a sudden and he only barely managed to take the chair on Marco’s left side. Agent Kirch nodded contentedly and sat opposite to them, getting out a voice recorder and placing it on the table.

“So.” He started. “I was informed that your co-pilot, Mr. Thomas Müller got ill during the flight. Is that right?” He looked at Marco, who nodded. Then, the agent pointed at the recorder and Marco mumbled a simple _yes_. “What do you think, is it possible that Mr. Müller was already feeling ill prior to takeoff?”

“I’d say it is possible.” Marco said.

“I see.” Kirch nodded satisfied. Erik had already decided that he hated this man. “Don’t you think that he should have informed you about it? In fact, I suspect that keeping back such a detail goes against one of your guidelines, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, he should have warned me.” Marco agreed. “But, if I’m allowed to say so, I think I would have done the same.”

“And risk the passengers’ lives?” Kirch raised his eyebrow. “Could you please explain it to me?”

“Look, Thomas couldn’t have known how serious his illness was. If we backed down from a flight whenever we felt not one hundred percent sound, you would have problems finding pilots healthy enough to fly. Plus, everything in a plane is designed so that just one pilot could fly it in case of emergency. Thomas couldn’t have known that we would be struck by lightning and that some of our instruments would fail and any delay in our takeoff might have worsened our situation because of the storm. So yeah, I think I probably would have said nothing if I were him.” Erik listened to him in awe. It was unbelievable how Marco protected Thomas, especially if Erik considered how mad he had been at him on the plane. And now, he was risking his own job for the co-pilot.

“That’s very interesting.” Kirch hummed. “This isn’t the first time we are investigating Mr. Müller’s demeanor. Let’s say that there have been a few other little _mishaps_ in his career already. Now, I see two possibilities here. First, either he is behaving dubiously because he is doing what he has learned from you, or, you are covering his ass. Which one is it, Mr. Reus?”

“What do you want from me?” Marco snapped and sprung up. “Do you want me to tell you what a horrible pilot Thomas is? I won’t do that, because that’s not what I think!”

“I want you to tell me the truth!” Kirch matched Marco’s raised voice. Erik felt like a small child curled up in the shadows of his arguing parents and he definitely didn’t want to be noticed.

“I’ve already done that.” Marco said, this time calmly and Erik was utterly grateful for it.

“Okay, let’s talk about something else, then!” Kirch acted as if he was thinking for a moment, but his steps had been planned very carefully already. “With Mr. Müller out of the picture, you were left alone with flying that plane. Air control asked you if you wanted to land. You decided to keep flying. Why?”

“Because I was sure of my skills and that might decision was right.” Marco said firmly and once again, Erik was amazed by the confidence in his voice.

“Even though there was a storm outside?”

“Especially because there was a storm outside. We were near the edge of the clouds and in my experience it is always safer to get out of a storm as soon as possible.”

“–And continue flying with nonfunctional instruments?” Kirch finished the thought for Marco.

“Yes.” The blonde nodded. “I had every data I needed to keep going and if I had turned back, I would have risked another lightning struck or a malfunction.”

“Do you know the chances of a plane being struck twice during the same flight?”

“A plane being struck only once but in a way that instruments get damaged is pretty low, too.” Marco shrugged. “Plus, I didn’t want to fly in an incalculable storm with only limited data about our flight. I didn’t know if any airports were closed because of the weather and I didn’t want to take needless risk. Flying was already risky enough.”

“Well, then.” Kirch said and he got out a paper from his pocket. “So you made your decision to continue and air control asked you to get another man with you into the cockpit who could assist you. Your immediate choice was the gentleman here. Can you vindicate that choice?”

“Of course.” Marco answered. “I knew Erik and that he had applied for pilot training. He also spends some time in simulators, so he was the obvious choice.”

“So in your opinion, the obvious and the right choice in such a situation should be a man with no pilot experience who has failed medical tests.” Kirch mocked and Erik barely understood that he was talking about him now. He watched the whole conversation like an observer who had nothing to do with the whole business. “There was nothing else that affected your decision?”

“Like what?” Marco asked cautiously.

“Well, like the relationship of you two.” Kirch leaned back in his chair like a poker player who has just shown his opponents that he had a royal flush.


	52. Accusations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One final chapter about Marco's and Erik's interrogation and after this, lots of fluff and romance will come! :-) I hope you will enjoy this chapter, too, please let me know what you think of it. :-)

Erik’s throat got dry all of a sudden and he had to look at his boyfriend to seek some comfort. Marco sat with a straight back and the muscles in his cheeks contracted, making the corners of his lips shake with anger. He held the armrest of his chair so firmly that his knuckles turned white. For a moment, Erik feared that he would spring up and throw his chair at the agent sitting opposite them and quite honestly, he would understand his reaction. Kirch’s grin only grew as he saw satisfied that his words had found a sore spot.

“What are you suggesting?” Marco snarled through gritted teeth, emphasizing every single word so no one could miss the venom put into uttering them. If anything, it only made Kirch more self-complacent.

“Well, it would be logical that because of your feelings for the young man here, you might have put all considerations behind just to grant him his wish to pilot an airplane.” He said as if he was only chatting with his best friend.

“Is that an accusation?” Marco snapped back.

“Oh, no.” Kirch snickered. “I’m only– how did you say it? _Suggesting_.”

“Well, we won’t listen to it!” Marco stood up and pushed his chair back, the sudden squeak hurting Erik’s ears.

“Of course, you can do that.” Kirch nodded. “But, I’m sure it will be easier for you to continue this conversation instead of being summoned for a formal interrogation with my colleagues. Especially considering Mr. Durm’s inexperience in such matters.”

Erik could almost see the electric jolts flashing between the two men who looked at each other; Marco with fierce disgust and Kirch with a smug smile. And he hated it, but he had to admit that the investigator was right: a formal interrogation would have put Marco in a very bad light.

“Marco did everything right!” He heard himself say the words surprised. “I’m interested in flying and have a lot of theoretical knowledge and he is well aware of it. I think he was right to call me into the cockpit.”

“So you are saying that you were the most qualified for this task?” Kirch turned to him. Erik could feel Marco’s eyes on him as the blonde tried to stop him, but he wasn’t going to do that. He wanted to be done with these accusations. “Are you saying that he couldn’t have found a man better suited to assist him?”

“I–” Erik started, but he realized that there might be some truth in what Kirch was saying. “I can’t know that for sure. But– considering the circumstances, I think that Marco acted the right way.” At this point, the blonde gave up all hope that they could get out right now and he sat down on his chair again.

“I see.” Kirch nodded. “And are you sure that your judgement isn’t blurred by your feelings for Mr. Reus? I think you don’t want to deny that you _do_ feel affection towards him?”

“No.” Erik shook his head. “But I stand by what I said: Marco acted the best way possible.”

“Okay.” Kirch said. “But, it’s strange, because I listened to the recording of your conversation in the cockpit and at first, you sounded rather– unsure about yourself.”

“I think everyone would be scared in such a situation.” Marco inserted.

“Most certainly.” Kirch nodded vehemently. “But, I’d like to hear Mr. Durm’s opinion.”

“I– I was scared.” Erik gulped. “But when I understood the seriousness of the situation, I didn’t hesitate to help out.”

“And every passenger should be grateful for that.” Kirch said. It seemed that his questions were over for now. He bent forward and stopped the recorder. “Mr. Reus, I’d like you to write an extra detailed report and as soon as possible.”

“I will do so.” Marco nodded. “Can we go now?”

“Just one more thing.” Kirch said to the two men already on their feet. They both turned back at him startled. “Right after you got out of the storm and things stabilized, there was a few seconds long radio silence. Now, I’d be surprised if further investigation didn’t find out that it was a result of a deliberate action. I will consider it your little mistake because of the pressure that you switched off the radio accidentally and I will presume that it had nothing to do with you two wanting a moment of privacy. But another slip, Reus, and I will bring up this utmost carelessness. Understood?”

“Understood.” Marco nodded and opened the door.

It was refreshing to step out to the corridor after the small room that seemed to have shrunk with every passing second and Erik noticed that his whole body was soaking wet with sweat. Marco grabbed his hand and he pulled him into the nearest restroom, stumbling into a stall and closing the door behind them. It wasn’t the most romantic place to go, but Erik took it gladly as the blonde wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in for a tight embrace.

“I’m so sorry about this.” He mumbled, burying his head in the crook of Erik’s neck.

“Love, you haven’t done anything wrong.” Erik smiled and rubbed Marco’s back with his hands.

“Kirch was a jerk and you didn’t deserve this after how brave you were up in the air.” Marco continued despite Erik’s reassuring.

“It’s not your fault, Marco.” The brunette repeated. “I just wonder how he knows about us. Although, I have a very strong suspicion that might be right.”

“Anne?” Marco looked up at him and Erik nodded.

“Anne.” He sighed. “I wanted to talk to her and maybe make up with her, but she has crossed a line now.”

“Erik, we can’t know for sure. I mean, there are others who know about us, and then, probably all the stewardesses could see that we aren’t just colleagues. Or, maybe we said something into the mic that made him come to this conclusion? He’s a dickhead, but a very smart one, I’ll give him that.”

Erik listened to him, but his mind was already somewhere else and a wide grin spread on his face. “Talking about dicks and giving…” He drawled. “Do you think we could go home now? You were talking about a delicious dinner and a hot bath if I’m not mistaken.”

Marco looked at him strangely for a moment before he realized that Erik didn’t want to talk about the stress they’ve been through any longer and he could easily understand him. He smiled, too and stroke Erik’s hair. “Oh, I have much more in mind than that.”


	53. A Night not to Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is, Marco's and Erik's special night together, I hope you will like it. I put a lot of effort into it and it drained me completely so I don't have any energy left to proofread it now, but I wanted to share it with you, so please excuse any typos and errors for now. I hope there aren't any blunders ruining the reading. Please, let me know if you liked this update, it's so special to me and I'd like to read your opinion. :-)
> 
> Dear GoForGoals, I want to dedicate this chapter to you because you waited for this chapter so patiently. I hope it will live up to your expectations. :-)

They ordered takeout from the taxi and they arrived at Marco’s home at the same time as the delivery man. His mouth watered as he paid for their dinner and got the bag with the deliciously tasting meals. He was totally worn out and he needed energy because he was determined to carry out his plan. The beautiful brunette standing next to him deserved it so badly. He would have deserved it only for being who he was, but the things Erik had done in the last hours had convinced Marco completely that he didn’t have to look any further for the love of his life.

He fidgeted with his key for almost a minute before he managed to open the door. He was excited; his heart beat rapidly, faster than it did when they had been fighting with nature up in the air and his blood pounded in his ears like a heavy hammer. Erik noticed his fervor and he helped him with unpacking the dinner. There was an atmosphere of heavy expectations in the air. They both knew exactly what was coming and the thought alone was arousing enough. While Erik heated the meal, Marco checked his pantry for some fine wine. He decided for a bottle of red. He had gotten it from his parents and he was expected to open it for a _special occasion_. Well, this evening would be special indeed.

“Dinner’s ready.” Erik announced as he carried the two plates to the table. Marco joined him in the dining room, holding the bottle, a corkscrew and two glasses in his hands. Erik looked at him and showed him his signature wide smile that warmed Marco more than any food or drink could. “Shall we get to eating or are we going to stand here?” He asked jokingly.

“We’ll eat, don’t worry about that.” Marco smirked, putting down the glasses and the bottle carefully. “But, dinner can wait. I can’t.” He stepped to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in for a tight embrace. “I haven’t thanked you for your help yet. You did a wonderful job up there and I’m not sure what I have done to deserve you.”

“Marco, you’re making me blush.” Erik mumbled sheepishly and indeed, his cheeks turned the color similar of the wine.

“Blush, my sweet Erik.” Marco tousled his hair. “I love it when you blush. I love everything about you. I love you.” He whispered in the brunette’s ears and Erik moaned and tilted his head back, offering the soft skin of his neck to the older one. But, Marco didn’t give in– yet.

“I hope red wine is okay with you.” He turned back suddenly, letting go of his boyfriend who let out an annoyed whimper. Marco had felt the definite proof of his arousal a moment earlier and he wanted to tease him a little bit. “I heard it is essential for great sex.”

“Really?” Erik asked, sitting down very carefully. Obviously, something was getting in his legs’ way. “I think we would do just perfectly without it, too.”

“We won’t miss anything trying, though?” Marco winked at him, already opening the bottle and pouring the dark liquid into glasses. “For us.” He said, as he handed one glass to Erik and they took a sip before Marco sat down too and they started eating.

There was no special setting on the table, no candlelight and no romantic music playing in the background, but it would have been pointless, anyway. They were lost in each other’s eyes, having a conversation without saying anything. Halfway through their dinner, their food got cold, but neither of them noticed it – the presence of their love gave them or at least their hearts enough warmth. And, Marco knew the perfect way to warm their bodies, too.

When their plates were empty, he refilled their glasses and stood up. Erik watched him full of hope. He clearly had had enough of teasing and he finally wanted to get his boyfriend, hold him in his arms, bare skin touching bare skin. Marco smiled at him reassuringly and he grabbed his hand. Erik got his glass and followed Marco to the bathroom.

The blonde had a huge tub. He had always loved to relax in the hot water and now the size of the tub would come in handy. He started the water, fidgeting with the tap until he found the perfect temperature. And when he turned around, he noticed taken aback that Erik had already lost half of his clothes, standing in front of him only in his briefs and socks, his perfectly toned body stunning him under the warm light. Marco stood there, confused, his eyes drinking in the beautiful sight only an arm reach away from him.

“Are you going to do anything or are you going to wait until moss starts to grow on my north side?” Erik smirked and his teasing made Marco take one huge leap forward and he flung his arms around his so strong body.

He pressed their lips together. Erik noticed and shared his raw lust and he opened his mouth immediately inviting in Marco’s curious tongue that darted out of its usual place and joined Erik’s skilled organ in a playful battle for dominance. Their tongues crashed together like opposing waves and the sensation that their contact caused whirled through their bodies. Marco could feel all his muscles tense as Erik suddenly grabbed his ass, kneading it forcefully, but carefully at the same time. He couldn’t breathe properly any longer, all air that reached his lungs he drew from Erik’s mouth.

They stumbled to the tub and before Marco could say anything, Erik’s hands jumped to the neck of his shirt, grabbing the soft material and ripping it off. Buttons flew in every possible direction and Marco could only gape. Erik snickered as he noticed his bewilderment and gave him a gentle peck before he knelt down in front of him and suddenly, Marco was very glad that he had the tub behind him he could lean against.

Erik was much tenderer with his pants, patiently unbuckling Marco’s belt and pulling down the zipper before Marco’s pants and boxers followed it, pooling around his ankles. His manhood was semi-hard, prancing, trying to figure out if it was needed or not. Erik didn’t leave any doubts about it as he took Marco’s entire length in his mouth with a very slow movement. The warmth that enclosed Marco’s cock was phenomenal after the very tiring day. He didn’t try to battle against the feelings that were knocking on his mind’s door. He let go and savored the feeling as Erik bobbed up and down on his shaft, picking up a relentless rhythm. Marco closed his eyes and held on to the edge of his tub, his knuckles turning white. His legs trembled and as he received the best blowjob of his life.

“Oh, god, Erik! Don’t stop, please, don’t stop!” He whined, his weak and high-pitched voice sounding ridiculous even to him, but he couldn’t care about it. He didn’t want to keep anything back from his fantastic boyfriend. He wanted Erik to know exactly what kind of reaction he got from him. And the brunette thanked him with utilizing his skilled tongue, swirling around the head of his cock, stimulating him until he reached the point of no turning back.

He would have liked it to take longer, he would have liked to hold back and savor the countless sensations, but Erik’s ministration had relaxed his muscles in his groin and he came hard, his hot semen dripping down his boyfriend’s throat. He kept his eyes closed, but even so, he saw stars all around him and the world started to spin around him.

Erik didn’t let go of him until he composed himself and when he did, the brunette dabbed kisses all over his thighs, sliding lower and lower, helping him out of his clothes that kept his ankles in a prison. Marco couldn’t return the favor, he was too spent to move a single bit of his body. He only managed to climb into the tub, relaxing as the hot water enveloped him.

A few seconds later he heard a splash as Erik joined him. Marco finally opened his eyes, his vision still blurry and smiled weakly at his wonderful boyfriend. He reached out for him and when Erik took his hand, he pulled him closer and Erik sat down in his lap, his back resting against Marco’s chest. Marco found new strength in this contact and he started to stroke Erik’s hair, drawing soothing circles on the top of his head. The brunette relaxed gratefully, moaning softly as he wriggled a bit to find an even more comfortable position.

“I could get used to this.” Erik mumbled, his voice hoarse from his arousal. Marco smiled to himself and kissed his wet hair before his hand ran down Erik’s trunk, stopping at his groin, his fingers wrapping around the aching cock.

“And it will get better. A lot better.” Marco promised him and he started to jerk him off very slowly and tenderly. Erik whimpered and his body lost all tension and he floated on the water surface. “Do you like it?” Marco whispered in his ears.

“Oh, yeah. Don’t stop, please.” Erik panted and Marco had no intention to deny him the satisfaction. Truth to be told, he had selfish reasons for it, too. He wanted Erik to take him and he knew that he would be tight. This was his way of making sure that they could enjoy that special encounter for a long time.

“I won’t.” Marco promised and he sped up his movements, not only stroking his boyfriend, but rubbing him on every spot he could reach. He slid his other hand down Erik’s body and he started to caress the brunette’s balls with it. Erik writhed and his breathing became more erratic, the overstimulation clearly sending him closer and closer to a forceful climax.

“Marco, darling, I think I’m gonna–”

“Let go!” Marco ordered and Erik cried out in anticipation. Marco squeezed his shaft a bit harder now, to boost his sensation and when he let go, Erik’s seed shot up in the air, the warm drops falling back on his abdomen like a geyser.

“This. Was. Awesome.” Erik croaked out, a huge grin on his face. His body shook uncontrollably, sending small waves in the tub, the water spilling out on the tiles. “Thank you.” He turned around and gave Marco a quick peck.

“Hush, love, I’m not done.” Marco smirked at him, reaching for the shower gel. Erik pushed himself away from him, resting at the other end of the tub, awaiting Marco’s next gentle ministration. The blond climbed to him, pouring a good amount of the green liquid on Erik’s body that was on fire. The humidity in the bathroom must have reached one hundred percent by now and they found it hard to breathe, but neither of them cared about it.

Marco smeared the gel all over Erik’s body, not missing a single spot and when his fingers massaged the brunette’s thighs, he saw his manhood twitch again. “You’re unbelievable!” Marco chuckled.

“Hey, it’s just a compliment to your touches.” Erik defended himself and pushed Marco away, taking the bottle. “I think it is my turn now.”

“Erik, before you start!” Marco stopped him with a dead serious face and he could see a cloud of worry pass over Erik’s face. “I want you to take me tonight.”

Erik first let out a relieved sigh and then he smiled at Marco, caressing his cheeks. “Are you sure you want it?”

“Yes.” Marco nodded determined. He had wanted them to make this step a long time ago but there was always something blocking him. Now, he felt like this last barrier had fallen down, too. “This flight showed me how precious life really is and I don’t want to miss out on the amazing things. I want to be with you and live my life to the full, like there is no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow. I don’t think there’s any other way it is worthy to live.”

“Wow.” Erik smiled at him. “That was deep.” He opened the bottle and poured some gel on his palm. He rubbed his hands together and he started to wash Marco’s entire body. The blonde closed his eyes and let Erik’s elegant fingers run all over his body. And when he least expected it, Erik slid his fingers between his butt cheeks, washing and massaging his puckered hole. To his surprise, he didn’t try to pull away. He knew that he could trust Erik, that the brunette would never harm him. And before he realized it, Erik was pushing into him with one digit.

“Bedroom. Now.” Marco ground out through gritted teeth. He stood up and Erik followed his example, laughing. Their manhoods were standing proudly in the air again, ready for another ride.

They didn’t take their time drying themselves up, their bodies led by pure need and passion. When Marco opened the door of his bathroom, the whole house felt cold as they ran naked into his bedroom, where he covered each other with their bodies, finding warmth in their closeness.

“You haven’t changed your mind, right?” Erik asked and Marco answered only with an annoyed groan as he reached into the drawer of his nightstand and got out a bottle of lube, handing it to Erik. “Got it.” The brunette smirked and put the needed liquid on his fingers.

Marco lifted his legs in the same way he had seen Erik do so many times. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the intrusion. Erik had fingered him and it had been amazing, but he was still afraid a bit. Erik had an impressive manhood and while he worshipped it, he couldn’t imagine how on earth that could fit in him.

Before Erik started to widen him, he kissed his rosebud and he pushed in one digit immediately. So far, so good, Marco thought. He wanted this, but he couldn’t just forget his unpleasant memories all of a sudden. This time, Erik chose a completely different approach than he had done with the first time. His one finger explored Marco’s walls, pressing all the right places and Marco could have come only from this much. Erik didn’t reach deep, but only this was more than enough for Marco.

“Relax.” Erik reminded him. “And if you feel anything bad, just tell me and I’ll stop.”

“Okay, but this feels fantastic.” Marco whispered as Erik added another finger. He now pushed deeper, reaching for Marco’s prostate. He scissored his fingers and Marco felt as his tunnel widened, leaving the point where it protested. Now, it only wanted more, it wanted to be filled. He was soon ready for a third finger and when Erik could move them in and out without meeting resistance, he finally pulled them out, leaving behind a hungry hole wide open for him. He slipped on a condom and lubed himself up, smearing the remaining liquid over Marco’s entrance.

“Ready?” Erik asked and Marco nodded. The brunette lined himself up and pushed his hips forward very slowly.

Marco had never felt anything like this in his entire life and he thought that no matter how many times he would give himself to Erik, nothing could top this sensation. The only time he had bottom, the first thrust felt as if it ripped his hole, his inner walls burnt and he wanted to cry. But now, as the tip of Erik’s cock pushed against him, he wanted to cry from his pleasure. The brunette’s spear slid into him easily, the head widening him to a point he had never thought possible. His body accepted his boyfriend eagerly and Marco started to cry indeed.

“This is so wonderful.” He gave voice to his feelings and Erik’s smile made his heart skip a beat.

Erik taking him was a prolonged sensation. He had never realized that his boyfriend was _that_ big and _that_ long. The first push forward was a careful one. Erik made sure that he was alright and he pulled out a bit faster, putting more force into his next thrust. Marco urged him to do more, to go harder on him, but Erik was patient and he knew what he could afford. He didn’t want to ruin their relationship with giving in to his lust and hurting his boyfriend.

When he finally picked up a steady rhythm, it felt like heaven. Marco’s mind was blown away and his whole body tingled as Erik moved in and out, his cock massaging Marco from the inside. The blonde had never thought that such pleasure was possible and still, it was nothing compared to what Erik did next.

He slowed down and pushed in him very slowly and deeper than ever before and when he started to pull out, he lifted his body so that the head of his cock brushed over Marco’s special spot.

Marco’s world exploded and he forgot about any restraints. He cried out in bliss and he spilled his seed all over himself before he could realize that he was even close to an orgasm. And this orgasm was completely different than anything he had ever experienced. It wasn’t just one wave taking his groin under control for a few seconds. This time, his whole body reacted to his pleasure and his limbs shook uncontrollably, and it felt as if his inside was on fire. The waves of his climax washed over him over and over again and he didn’t feel anything anymore.

“God, I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t–” He hastened to say once he came back to his senses at least a bit.

“It’s okay, darling.” Erik reassured him. Marco realized only then that Erik was still thrusting into him, massaging him through the afterglow of his orgasm. “Actually, I’m not done with you, yet.” He smirked and before Marco could say anything, he hit his prostate again.

A feeling akin to pain shot through Marco’s body, only this feeling made him hornier than ever and he could feel his cock get hard again. Was that even possible? His prostate was oversensitive and each thrust against it made him crazy and he wanted to crawl out of his skin, but at the same time, he didn’t want it to end. Erik sped up and added even more power to his thrusts.

“Oh, god, yes, Erik, just like that!” Marco encouraged him before he was running out of his mind. He surrendered to his boyfriend completely, trusting him with whatever he had in mind. It felt good to give the lead to someone else and taking only what he got, not being the initiator of the happenings in his life.

“Darling, you feel so good around me.” Erik finally lost his restraints, too. He was now sure that he didn’t hurt Marco and he could let go and enjoy their encounter completely. “I’m going to come!”

“I’m close too!” Marco met his desperate cry and he reached his climax with a last hit against his prostate, Erik’s moans the proof that he found his release, too.

The brunette collapsed on him, but careful not to crush him. He panted as the waves of his orgasm slowly subsided and he pulled out of Marco, reaching for the condom and pulling it off himself. He wanted to stand up, but Marco kept him firmly next to him.

“Marco, I have to clean you first.” He explained, but his voice told the blonde that Erik wanted to sleep as much as he.

“No, you don’t have to.” Marco corrected him and he turned Erik’s head so the brunette’s gaze met his eyes. They exchanged a silence conversation full of pleasure, bliss and joy and at the end of it, Erik nodded, wrapped the condom in a tissue and lay down next to Marco, finding the perfect sleeping place in his arms.

“I love you Erik.” Marco whispered the all-important words. The city was quiet outside and the house was silent with its emptiness, being the perfect place for sharing their feelings for each other. “I will never forget this night.”

“Me, neither.” Erik turned to him. “But, I will make sure that there will be nights that top this one.” He winked at Marco playfully. The blonde doubted that it was possible, but then, Erik had already surprised him so many times. “I love you, my sweet Marco. I love you more than I ever loved anything and will love you till the end of the world.” He said, his voice the most soothing melody to fall asleep to.


	54. With Friends Like That, Who Needs Enemies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have other WIPs to tend to, but I simply couldn't stop myself from writing this chapter once the idea popped up in my mind. I hope that you will like it as much as I did, please, let me know in the comments what you think about it. :-)

The sound Marco woke up to was less pleasant. Erik’s phone started to ring all of a sudden and the rattle echoed in the peaceful house. The brunette lay snuggled close to him, his head resting on his chest and Marco had to nudge him a bit to make him wake up fully. Erik groused and he buried his face in the crook of Marco’s neck before he understood what was going on and he sat up slowly, reaching for his phone. He didn’t even open his eyes as he answered the unwanted call.

“Mario, it’s too early for you to trouble me. Can’t it wait?” Marco couldn’t hear the response from the other end of the line but it was startling enough for Erik’s eyes to snap open as he came to his senses in a split second. “Julian, what happened?” He cried out desperately. “An accident? Oh, my god, are you okay?” Erik looked ready to faint any moment and Marco sat up next to him, putting his hand on the brunette’s back reassuringly. No matter how much he disliked the annoying dork Mario was, he felt a lump in his throat only thinking that something bad might have happened to the other brunette.

“Everything is fine, kind of.” He heard Julian’s weak voice from the cell phone’s speaker. Erik noticed his struggling and he turned the phone away from his ears so both of them could hear the young pilot. “It’s hard to explain, but could you please come here?”

“Of course, I’m already on my way.” Erik said and with that effort, he ended the call, sprang up and walked to Marco’s closet to find some clothes for himself.

“What happened?” Marco asked from him frightened. He gulped and stood up, too, walking behind Erik, searching for any way to help his boyfriend.

“Mario and Julian had an accident in the night.” Erik sighed. He was speaking as a loving parent who is mad and relieved at the same time that their child had an accident but is okay. “I must go there.” He turned back to Marco, looking at him apologetically.

“It’s okay, I’m coming with you.” Marco nodded.

“You really don’t have to.” Erik said. “Besides…” He looked down at Marco’s abdomen where his pleasure from last night had dried up while he slept.

“Just call a taxi, I’ll take a quick shower in the meantime.” Marco instructed already on his way to the bathroom. He could feel Erik’s eyes on him as his beautiful boyfriend checked him out, allowing himself a moment of relaxation, appreciating Marco’s perfect body before horrible scenarios of what might have happened to Mario reentered his mind.

 

Marco put on his shoes the moment the taxi stopped in front of his house. They ran to the car and they got in like in an action movie. Erik literally yelled his address to the driver who didn’t seem very happy about it. He didn’t understand that they were in a hurry and he drove carefully through the city that was slowly waking up. Marco could see the worry sit out on Erik’s face and he put his hand on the brunette’s thighs, reassuring him that everything would be fine. If it really had been a serious accident, they wouldn’t have been at Mario’s home, he mused.

When they reached the house, Erik handed the chauffeur a note and didn’t even wait for the change. Marco could barely keep pace with him as Erik tore open the front door and started to run up the stairs. He didn’t slow down for a moment and exploded into their flat, almost knocking down Julian.

“Where is he?” Erik yelled and for the first time since they had met, Marco was afraid of his own boyfriend because he sounded ready to kill whoever might be to blame for Mario’s accident.

“In his room, but wait!” Julian tried, but it was pointless. Erik started off in said direction and he entered Mario’s room.

The next thing Marco heard was Erik’s hysterical laughter. He shot Julian a questioning look, but the younger one only stared at his feet, blushing as if there was something very embarrassing awaiting them in Mario’s room. Marco followed his boyfriend and stepped into the room afraid of what he would see there.

The sight was hard to interpret. Mario was lying on his bed, wearing only his briefs, his hands cuffed to the headboard and his ankles cuffed to the bed legs. Marco had to try very hard not to laugh. Mario didn’t find his situation so amusing and he stared at the ceiling, a hurt expression on his face.

“Could you please stop that?” He snapped at his friend and Erik tried to catch his breath, but he only burst out in an even bigger wave of laughter.

“Sorry, but this is fucking awesome!” Erik croaked when he could finally stop. “Can I take a photo?”

“Don’t you dare!” Mario shouted and he would have charged at Erik if it wasn’t for his restraints.

“What happened, Mario?” Marco asked. The brunette shot him a stunned look as if he hadn’t noticed him yet and he jerked his head in Julian’s way.

“Ask him.” He sighed.

“Yesterday, we went out to party and got quite drunk. On our way home, apparently, we bought these– whatever they are and decided to try them.”

“Well, if your goal was to shake up your sex life, it was worth it.” Erik giggled. “You look quite sexy like this.” He winked at Mario who only scoffed annoyed.

“Oh, yeah, do you think I’ll be sexy when I pee myself?” He snapped.

“Why don’t you release him?” Erik turned to Julian.

“As I’ve said, we were drunk and I have no idea where the keys are.” He admitted sheepishly, his face turning redder than red. His confession induced another wave of roaring laughter and Mario’s handcuffs actually came in handy, because otherwise he would have killed Erik with his bare hands by now. And Marco could understand him. Laughing at Mario’s situation once was okay, but Erik was overdoing it.

“You seriously don’t remember anything?” Marco turned to Julian, deciding that he would take the initiative. One couldn’t count on Erik.

“Nah.” Julian shrugged. “I looked everywhere.”

“And you bought the things last night?”

“Yeah. Probably on our way home. At least, I hope we weren’t partying with the package on our table.” Julian said. Marco saw that he was really sorry about what happened and that he felt bad for it, but at the same time, there was a playful smile lurking in the corners of his lips.

“I see.” Marco nodded. His eyes scanned the room and they rested on a pile of clothes on the floor. _Why not?_ , he thought as he slowly walked to it and reached into the pocket of jeans and he wrapped his fingers around something made out of metal. He smiled to himself before he turned around, holding the keys in his hands. “Something like these?” He asked, a satisfied grin spreading on his face. He threw the keys to Julian who caught them and climbed on the bed, quickly releasing his boyfriend.

“I can’t believe you didn’t check it there, Jules!” Mario scolded Julian, obviously relieved. The moment he was free, he sprung up and ran to the toilet, staying there for long minutes. The three of them exchanged anxious glances, understanding the awkwardness of the situation. Eventually, it was Erik who suggested that they sit down in the living room.

When Mario joined them, now wearing comfortable clothes, the first thing he did was smacking Erik’s head playfully before he slumped down on the couch next to Julian. Julian tried to comfort him by snaking his arms around him, but Mario pulled out of the touch with a sulky face. Seeing him this childish, Marco came to regret that he had helped Julian to free Mario.

“Thanks, Marco.” Mario turned to him, much to Marco’s surprise. “I’m glad that there are some who are ready to help a friend in need.” He shot another cutting glance at Erik.

“Don’t mention it.” Marco said and he meant it literally. He could relate to Mario’s feelings, since his mother had nearly caught him in the same position. And honestly, he didn’t want to hear again about the brunette’s sexual practices.

“Well, now that we are all here–” Mario started, respecting the blonde’s wish, although Marco had the fear that he wouldn’t like what was coming. “Jules and I were thinking about moving together and we thought that it would be the best if he moved in here. Now, the flat would be too small for three people and since you spend a lot of time at Marco’s place already, I thought that maybe you’d like to move there permanently, Erik.” He turned to his roommate. “What do you say?”

Marco couldn’t hide his amazement at the young barman’s directness, but at the same time, he didn’t hate the idea as much as he expected he would. He looked at his boyfriend, gaping next to him, flushed completely. _Yes, Erik_ , he thought, _what do you say?_


	55. Let's Make This Decision Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This morning, I woke up and Erik wanted to answer Mario's question so much that I couldn't say no to him. So here it is, we learn if Erik will move in with Marco. It's maybe a bit edgier than you'd like, but I liked the course the chapter took so I went with it. Thank you all for your amazing support, please keep it up, your comments are always welcome and mean so much to me! :-)

A second passed and then another and another and Erik kept silent. Marco’s heartbeat got faster as he counted down the seconds until his boyfriend would speak up. He hadn’t quite expected Erik to start to jump cheering and excited about moving in with him, but he hadn’t expected this silence, either, and it was killing him. He felt like he had failed to make Erik fall in love with him and he felt deeply ashamed of himself. Mario’s and Julian’s questioning gazes didn’t help at all. He looked again at Erik and the sight brought his spirits down. The brunette’s face was a window to the misery he was going through and Marco could almost hear the gears clicking in his head as his mind raced.

“Erik?” Mario asked shyly and Erik looked at him with empty eyes, as if he didn’t recognize his best friend. “What do you say?” Mario repeated his question but he didn’t get an answer now, either. Instead, Erik sprung up and ran out of the living room.

Marco watched him incredulously, his heart missing numerous beats now and his throat clogged up by a huge lump Marco hadn’t even known was there. He saw Julian scowling at Mario and he heard his voice as he reprimanded his boyfriend for not being tactful enough. Marco heard all that but he couldn’t care about it less. Erik didn’t love him enough to move in with him and the reality hit him with brute force. He climbed out of the armchair with slumped shoulders and a heavy heart, completely devastated.

“Marco–” Mario started but he didn’t listen to him. He wanted to get out of this apartment as quick as possible and never return. Charlie walked to his legs, trying to comfort him, but Marco only shooed him away before he stepped out to the stairwell.

He wanted to call the elevator because walking down the stairs was Erik’s habit and right now he didn’t want to do anything that reminded him of the brunette. But, he caught a glimpse of a figure sobbing on the stairs and he couldn’t help it but walk down to him. It was some sort of reassurance that Erik was feeling as bad as he.

“I’m so sorry, Marco!” Erik whined when the blonde stopped next to him.

“Do you want to tell me what happened in there?” The pilot asked tenderly. After all, he had no right to be mad at Erik. It wasn’t even he who had asked his boyfriend to move in with him. Why would he even be disappointed that Erik wasn’t ready to live together with him?

“I freaked out.” Erik sighed. “It’s not how I imagined us talking about moving in.”

“Wait!” Marco stopped him. “You wanted to talk to me about moving in?” He asked in awe.

“Of course.” Erik said and he looked at Marco. A few tears had welled up in his eyes but they had stopped flowing and he had such an innocent look that it melted Marco’s heart. And there was sadness in his eyes, too, as if he had been rejected. “Didn’t you?”

“I– I– I–” Marco gaped and nothing else left his mouth. He had given a thought about living in the same house with Erik but he hadn’t considered it enough to be able to tell for sure whether he wanted it or not. When Mario had mentioned it, he had liked how it had sounded but it hadn’t meant that it would necessarily work.

“That’s why I didn’t want to discuss it in front of Mario.” Erik nodded, the corners of his lips bending down. “I didn’t want to be turned down and humiliated in front of others.”

“Erik.” Marco cut him off. “Please don’t think that I’m rejecting you. I’m not. I think we should talk about it.”

“Look at us!” Erik let out a forced laugh. “Crazy in love with each other and yet, we can’t answer a simple question about our future.”

Marco couldn’t help it but join his boyfriend because honestly, the situation was quite funny when he thought about it. “Should we tell each other, why?” He suggested.

“Only if you go first and in my room.” Erik smiled at him. They stood up and walked into the flat, straight into Erik’s room, not caring about the two curious faces appearing in the living room’s doorway. “So what troubles you?” He turned to Marco when they sat down on his bed.

“I’m not really sure.” Marco shrugged. “Everything a bit, I guess. It all happened so quickly and I was fallen for you right at first sight and I couldn’t recover ever since. Not that I want to.” He smiled. “When Mario said it out loud, it became so real all of a sudden. I mean, that we could become something even more serious. It excited and frightened me at the same time. But, if you’ll tell me that you want to move in with me, I won’t hesitate for a second to say yes to that.”

“I’ve always found it amusing that you could make the hardest decision in the cockpit and you are sometimes so clueless about your private life.” Erik showed him his most astonishing grin. “I love it so much about you.” He planted an apologetic peck on Marco’s cheek. “I went through the same as you. I was scared by the prospect of taking the next step. Don’t get me wrong, I want to do it, but it feels like I’d have to give up a lot. You know, making decisions together and all, this being the first one. And when Mario asked me, I was afraid to make it alone.”

“You don’t have to make this decision alone, Erik.” Marco caressed the back of his hand gently. “I can understand all your worries and mine, too. But, if I look beyond that and listen to what my heart tells me, I think we should try it.”

“We _should_ try it?” Erik raised his eyebrow. “I was hoping for something more confident.”

“Hey, who told you I had to be the strong one in our relationship?” Marco laughed playfully. “But, let it be.” He stood up, driven by a sudden idea and knelt down in front of his boyfriend. “Erik Durm, will you do me the honor of moving in with me?”

“That depends on.” Erik shrugged, teasing Marco a bit.

“On what?” The blonde asked, taken aback.

“Do I get my own room or can we find some place for me in yours?” Erik grinned at him and Marco sat back next to him and embraced him so tightly that it must have hurt the brunette.

“Oh, you stupid!” He laughed, already thinking about which shelves to clear for Erik in his closet. In _their_ closet.


	56. Many Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is more like a filler but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless. Please share your thoughts with me, reading your comments is always a pleasure and something I can never get enough of. :-)

“Could you give me a hand?” Erik asked, stopping in the doorway of the living room. Marco was busy typing into his computer his report about their flight home and he didn’t give any answer to Erik and it obviously frustrated the brunette. “You know, I haven’t imagined moving in with you like this.”

“Come on, Erik!” Marco finally looked up from his computer annoyed. “We’ve only brought some of your stuff, it’s not something you couldn’t manage on your own. I suck at unpacking and you would search for your things if I put them away.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t unpack at all.” Erik groused but Marco knew that he wasn’t serious. “I’m sure Mario would take me back.” It wasn’t meant as a threat but it sounded bad enough for Marco to put his laptop on the table and reach for his boyfriend.

“Come here, love.” He said tenderly and Erik walked to him hesitantly. Marco pulled him down on him and wrapped his arms around his waist. “I’d like to help you, but I must finish this stupid report for Kirch. You know he won’t leave us alone until he gets it. If you wait a few hours, I’ll help you.”

“No, in a few hours, I could finish on my own.” Erik mumbled, avoiding Marco’s eyes.

“Look at me, love.” Marco insisted and the brunette cast him a quick glance.

Erik tried to keep up his hurtful expression but Marco saw through it and he knew the way to cheer up his boyfriend. He gently thrust him with his hands so that Erik fell forward on him and Marco took his lips, kissing his apology on them. Erik was unwilling to return his kiss at first, but eventually, he started moving his lips.

“I love you so much, I hope you know it.” Marco said when they parted. “Even when you pout.” It finally made Erik laugh and it was the most beautiful sight Marco could imagine. He wanted to lose himself in the experience but their tender moment was cut short by the loud and constant buzz of the doorbell.

“Which idiot is this one?” Marco shouted as he gently lifted Erik off himself and started off towards the front door. The visitor couldn’t suffice with holding his finger on the doorbell, the ringing making Marco’s ears hurt, he also started to knock on the door in a rapid pace. Marco quickly looked through the peephole to see who was trying to make him go mad and he realized stunned that it was Thomas.

“What the hell?” He tore the door open and his co-pilot didn’t even wait for him to finish his sentence. He stormed into the hall and started to poke at his chest accusingly.

“What do you think of yourself?!” He yelled. “I thought we were friends! How can you betray me like this? Trying to dodge the blame on me? What’s wrong with you?”

“With me?” Marco snapped bewildered. “What’s wrong with _you_! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“This!” Thomas didn’t keep his voice down as he shoved a paper under Marco’s nose. The blonde looked questioningly at his friend before he took the letter and scanned through it.

“What’s going on?” Erik stepped next to them and shot a curious glance at both of them.

“Lufthansa and the Aviation Administration are starting an investigation on me because of misconduct.” Thomas explained, still loudly but he almost sounded calm compared to his previous way of talking.

“Listen, Thomas.” Marco said. “I don’t know what this means, but I have nothing to do with it.”

“Marco even tried to defend you!” Erik added and Thomas shot him a bewildered look.

“How would you know?”

“Because an agent interrogated him because of your irresponsibility!” Marco shouted accusingly. “I’m not saying that I’m glad that there’s an investigation against you but maybe it’s not that bad and you’ll learn from it. This wasn’t the first dubious thing you did.”

“But it might well be my last.” Thomas sighed. “What if they want to get rid of me?” He said, giving way to his worries.

“They don’t.” Marco reassured him and patted his shoulder. “It’s only to calm Aviation Administration down. You are a good pilot, you only need to take your job more seriously.”

“Can I count on you during the hearing?” Thomas asked almost sheepishly.

“Of course, Thomas. I’m your friend and I don’t blame you for what happened. It was unfortunate and we should learn from it.” Marco smiled.

“Thank you.” Thomas nodded gratefully. “I should be going, sorry for intruding.”

“It’s okay.” Marco patted his shoulder again and he opened the door for him.

The blonde co-pilot apologized to them once more, to Erik even for bringing him into this and that he had had to go through an interrogation because of him. It was clear that he was truly feeling bad about the events.

“So where were we?” Marco asked teasingly when Thomas left and he snaked his arms around the brunette’s waist but before they could resume their previous activity, Marco’s phone started to ring. “Argh, I can’t catch a break today!” He snapped as he started off for his phone.

“Hello?” He asked half-annoyed, but his tone changed immediately. “Hi, Mom! No, of course you’re not disturbing.” Erik couldn’t hear what the answer on the other end of the line was but it was scary enough to make Marco’s smile freeze on his face and the pilot pale. “What? When? What flight?” Another short pause. “Yes, it is important! Could you check it?” He drummed on the table anxiously while he was waiting for an answer. When he got it, his face turned even paler if it was possible. “Yeah, I see. Yes, that’s mine. Yes, that’s truly wonderful.” He said without meaning it and he hung up.

“What’s wrong, Marco?” Erik asked shyly, carefully stepping to his boyfriend. He was truly scared because of the blonde’s reaction.

“My parents are going on holiday to Sydney. With our plane!” He cried out.

“I don’t see the problem there.” Erik drawled.

“Because you have never flown with them. It’s hell! I’m sure that my mother will tell everyone that her little son is piloting the plane!”

Erik couldn’t stop his snicker because Marco sounded so childish as he complained about his parents. “Maybe you won’t even meet them. They can’t get into the cockpit.”

“But she’ll try to!” Marco croaked out. “Oh my god, maybe you will have to serve them!” His eyes widened in realization.


	57. We're Headed to Hell

Marco had never been this anxious about a flight for a long time. He was sitting in the safe cockpit but he knew that outside, all hell would break loose once his mother boarded the plane. And his beautiful Erik would have to suffer through it. He wished he could help his boyfriend to get through the flight somehow, but between staying in the quiet cockpit and enduring his mother’s chatter, he had no problem choosing.

Things had turned from bad to worse after his phone talk with his mother. Because of the investigation against him, Thomas couldn’t fly with him and of course it was Julian who took over his role as a co-pilot, being closely watched by an old inspector sitting behind them and making notes all the time even though they were only checking the instruments. And of course Julian couldn’t leave his overly attached boyfriend at home. So Marco would have two days of dealing with his mother, his father, Julian and Mario. Great prospects, he sighed.

He was sitting in his seat, running through the weather report again when he heard her entering the plane. He couldn’t even miss it because the moment she was inside, she headed towards the cockpit, not caring about the flight attendants’ objections.

“Manuela, let’s go and find our seats!” Marco heard his father’s annoyed begging but he knew that it would fall only on deaf ears.

“Please, I’ll just say hello to my little darling. A mother is allowed to do that much, right?” She explained and Marco mumbled a silent prayer for the ground to open up and swallow him.

He was red from embarrassment and he couldn’t not hear Julian’s amused chuckle. Even the inspector was most entertained. The blonde pilot wished that he had taken a day off just like he had intended but Erik had talked him out of it, reassuring him that everything would be fine. Well, Marco hoped that the brunette was already thinking about a way to calm his mother down, otherwise the already long flight to Australia would be even longer. He didn’t need to be afraid because the next moment, a warm voice joined the rather loud exchange of words.

“Ah, Mrs. Reus!” Marco could almost see his boyfriend stepping forward and grabbing his mother by her arm. “What a lovely surprise! I’m sorry, but we can’t disturb the pilots right now, they need to check the instruments thoroughly. We don’t want any malfunction, do we?”

“Of course not.” She agreed. “I didn’t know that you would be on the plane, too, Erik. It’s wonderful that you are working together. I’m sure you enjoy it very much. It’s so important for you two to spend as much time together as possible. Isn’t it, Thomas?”

Fortunately, Marco didn’t hear his father’s answer because they got out of earshot and he let out a sigh of relief and sent a cutting glance at Julian whose face had turned red from the effort to hold back his laughter.

“Don’t you dare say anything!” Marco warned him.

“I couldn’t, even if I wanted. I was left speechless by your mother. She clearly loves you!” Julian burst out laughing. “I bet she even has a cute nickname for you. What’s it?” He whispered half-jokingly, half-evilly and Marco was actually grateful for the inspector who cleared his throat to signalize that maybe they had more important things to do.

They had indeed and in the half an hour left until take-off they checked and then double-checked all the instruments and set the computer for their flight. Marco sneaked out with the excuse of needing to go to the toilet but he joined the flight attendants, one brunette man in particular.

“How bad is it?” He asked when they pulled into a more or less secluded corner. He smiled warmly at his boyfriend but he didn’t touch him even though his whole body screamed for it. But, they had to keep their relationship down at work. It was already good enough that they would probably share a room at the hotel with Julian staying with Mario on his own expense.

“I don’t mind it that much. Your mom’s a lovely woman and she’s only proud of you. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of her, either. Oh, and they invited us for dinner in the evening somewhere in Sydney. They said we should meet at the airport and agree on the place and time.”

“Just wonderful.” Marco mumbled. A dinner with his parents and boyfriend was the last thing he needed. “Did _they_ invite us, or was it only my mother?”

“Well, your father didn’t object…” Erik drawled, chuckling. “It will be fine, Marco. I really don’t mind spending time with them. I want to prove to them that I’m the most amazing boyfriend their son could find.” He suddenly put his hand on Marco’s shoulders and pulled him closer to himself.

“Maybe I should do the same with your mother and sister, then.” Marco suggested sweetly.

“They already know what a wonderful person you are.” Erik said and gave Marco a quick peck before he returned to arranging everything in the kitchen.

Marco unwillingly walked back to the cockpit and went through the procedure before take-off. He called the flight attendants to announce that they would take off in ten minutes and then he turned on his microphone to greet the passengers.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.” _This is the part where my mother turns around to tell everyone that I’m her son_ , he thought to himself. “Welcome onboard Flight LH284 flying from Frankfurt to Sydney. We are currently fourth in line for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately nine minutes time. The weather in our route is good. I’d like to remind you that if you need any special attention, all our crew will be at ready to assist you. I’ll talk to you again after take-off. Please make sure that your seatbelts are fastened, sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.”

_Because I won’t_.


	58. Surprise, Surprise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end of this story, and I want to thank you for the many amazing comments and kudos you've left. I hope that the remaining chapters won't disappoint, either. :-)

In the end, the flight felt longer than Marco had thought. The inspector kept scribbling his notes all the time and he even told Marco off for using the toilet so often and leaving an inexperienced pilot alone in the cockpit. But what was he supposed to do? When he had to go, he had to go – even if he only wanted to see Erik. He wouldn’t have done so if he hadn’t been completely sure in Julian’s skills. They were having an easy flight with wonderful weather and the autopilot on. Julian barely had to do anything when he was left alone. Besides, the inspector was a seasoned pilot and could help him out if he had been needed.

But he hadn’t been needed at all and the only problems that arose happened in the cabin. They weren’t really problems, at least nothing that had to be dealt with, but they still annoyed Marco to no end, because they were mostly happening around his mother. Erik reassured him every single time Marco snuck out to meet him that it was fine and it wasn’t bad at all, but Marco couldn’t be persuaded.

Apparently, Mario sat in the row with Marco’s parents and once his mom found out that Mario was Marco’s ‘friend’, she decided to tell the brunette each and every secret from Marco’s life. And Marco could already hear the barman laughing at him in the future. Why couldn’t he have a normal mother who could just shut up once in a while?

When they landed in Sydney, Marco ideally would have liked to go into his hotel room and hide from the world, including Julian, Mario and his parents, but Erik forced him to go and meet his folks and it was the first time when Marco officially hated one of his boyfriend’s ideas. Erik noticed his discomfort though and grabbed his hand as they walked out of the terminal.

“Why do you look like as if you have bitten into a lemon?” Erik asked playfully, knowing the answer perfectly well. But his sweet voice made Marco smile and he was already feeling better. It’s not like having a dinner with his parents was the end of the world.

“I just wish my mom hadn’t told every single detail of my life to Mario.” Marco sighed and Erik squeezed his hand.

“You don’t have to worry that Mario will use it anyhow. He is a nice guy and one of the kindest people I have ever known. You should give him more credit.” Erik came to Mario’s defense and he snickered as something popped up in his mind. “Otherwise, how would I, as the most awesome being walking the Earth, be his friend?”

“Aren’t you a bit overconfident?” Marco asked, laughing as they stepped through the door and found themselves on the busy pavement.

“Am I not the most awesome man for you?” Erik drawled teasingly.

“You certainly are.” Marco agreed and gave his boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek.

“Oh, aren’t they cute?” Marco heard his mother drawl. He looked at his father for help to calm her down, but even he was smiling and nodding in agreement with his wife. Marco rolled his eyes. Had everyone gone insane? “What is this reaction supposed to mean, Marco Reus?” She snapped. “Do you consider yourself to be too grown-up to be called cute? I must reassure you that you are never too old for the truth and yes, you are cute, so why wouldn’t I point it out? Even your little friend Mario agrees with me. I’m surprised you haven’t introduced him to us yet. He is such a lovely boy.”

 _Yeah, sure he is_ , Marco thought, but he said something completely different. “We haven’t had the time for that, somehow.”

“It’s a shame. Maybe you can invite him for our dinner, too?” She suggested and Marco’s blood froze. Mario Götze and his parents at the same table could never happen.

“I don’t know about the dinner, mom.” Marco hastened to say before Erik could agree to the idea for him. “The flight has been very tiring and I have to sleep a lot before we have to fly back to Germany.”

“What tiring flight? You have been excellent! Is every flight this easy and flawless?”

“No.” Marco said. _Sometimes I don’t have to worry about what my annoying mother says to my boyfriend’s even more annoying friend_ , he wanted to add, but he bit it down to avoid pique.

“So will you invite Mario?” She insisted and Marco had no other option than to give in.

“I will. But he’s here with his boyfriend and I think he wants to spend his time with him. It’s only natural.” He allowed himself a little quip. It went unnoticed and moreover, a strange expression appeared on his mother’s face, but only for a slight moment. It was still enough for Marco to decode it. Mario had apparently won his mother’s heart with his charm and Mrs. Reus considered him better boyfriend material than Erik. Marco was now pretty sure that he would ‘forget’ to tell Mario about the dinner.

“So where will we have that dinner?” Erik spoke up to bring some purpose into this conversation.

“Where are you staying?” Marco’s father got the hint and decided to utilize his common wit.

“In _that_ hotel.” Marco pointed at a huge building not far away from the terminal.

“I see.” His father nodded. “We’re staying downtown. Here’s the address”, he brought out a piece of paper and handed it to Marco. “Call a taxi and drive there, let’s say around eight, and we’ll see what’s nearby, okay?”

“Yeah.” Marco agreed with a sour expression. Why couldn’t things go the way he had planned them? This month was meant to be the best month in his life, with Erik by his side all the time. They were supposed to enjoy themselves and instead, they had to go through a troubled flight back from Toronto, an investigation and now this. Life was unfair to him.

They said goodbye to his parents and started off towards the hotel. Marco sulked silently and murmured something unintelligible under his breath while Erik’s happiness never faded. He seemed to enjoy himself very much and Marco cursed him for being so entertained by his misfortune. His boyfriend was supposed to support him and sympathize with him, wasn’t he?

“I think you are making a too big fuss out of it, Marco.” Erik finally said. “Your parents certainly aren’t the most horrible people on Earth and your mother is only trying to be nice to you. She loves you and wants the best for you.”

“That’s exactly the problem.” Marco snorted.

They walked into the hotel, through the lobby and stopped in front of the reception desk.

“Marco Reus and Erik Durm.” Marco said and handed the receptionist their passports. “On Lufthansa.”

“I’m sorry, you aren’t on the list.” She shook her head after checking her computer.

“What? What do you mean we aren’t on the list?” Marco snapped. This was the last thing he needed. Why couldn’t everyone do their jobs? Why did _he_ have to deal with accommodation problems all the time?

“Marco! Erik!” A ringing voice called them through the lobby. Marco spun around and saw Mario approaching with Julian by his side. “I thought you would arrive a bit later. So the thing is, that Julian and I wanted to have an apartment on our own, but then we thought, why would we let you sleep in a small room the company pays for you, when there is an empty room in our apartment? So Julian made some arrangements and you are staying with us. Isn’t that great?” He explained and Marco thought that he was going to punch someone.


	59. A Pair of Skilled Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with a new chapter and a bit more tender moments after all the hardships Marco had to go through. I hope you will love it, please let me know. :-)
> 
> Dear Blue Night, I hope you had something similar in mind. :-)

Marco balled his hand into a fist and hit the reception desk behind him with all force he could muster. The receptionist lady sprung back in surprise and Erik stepped even closer to Marco, flinging an arm around his waist to make sure that he wouldn’t lose his cool. Julian looked bewildered at the blonde pilot, but nothing could ruin Mario’s good mood and his wide grin.

“That’s really nice of you two.” Erik mumbled, squeezing Marco’s hand very tightly. “You’re always so thoughtful.”

“Oh, it’s nothing!” Mario waved sheepishly. “We’re very grateful for what Marco did for Julian and that’s the least we could do to thank him. Actually, we’re going out in the city, do you want to join us? We can wait for you…” He suggested and Marco felt the urge to beat him very badly.

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Erik hastened to say before Marco could open his mouth. “I think we’ll check out our room.”

“Yeah, sure you will.” Mario winked at him. “There’s one key at the miss there.” He said and he pulled Julian after him, heading out of the lobby.

“I’m going to kill that little piece of–” Marco hissed through gritted teeth.

“Sh, darling!” Erik put his finger on Marco’s lips. “You don’t want to say something you’ll regret later, do you?”

“No, I won’t regret it at all.” Marco said.

“Why don’t we get our key, instead?” Erik asked and turned to the receptionist still standing out of arm reach from Marco. “The apartment of Mr. Draxler and Mr. Götze, then. Sorry for the inconvenience, we didn’t know about this surprise.”

“Oh, it’s okay.” She stammered. “Here’s your key, enjoy your stay.”

“Don’t we have to sign anything?” Marco snapped.

“It’s not necessary.” She quickly shook her head, her fear audible in her voice. It was obvious that she just wanted Marco be far away from her. Erik did everything to make her wish come true and tugged his boyfriend towards the elevators.

Their apartment was on the top floor and it was huge. The door opened into a spacy living room with the most comfortable couches Erik could imagine and lots of cushions and pillows. There was an enormous TV on the wall and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city in the distance. Erik couldn’t understand how Julian and Mario could afford an apartment like this. But then, his friend wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to reserve it once he had the money for it.

“This is amazing.” He panted and he saw that Marco was taken aback by the luxury in front of his eyes. “This view!”

“Yeah, sure.” Marco fell back into the role of a grumpy and annoyed man. “I’m sure Julian and Mario will provide us with an amazing background music to, with fucking each other into the mattress.”

“Hey!” Erik punched the blonde in the ribs and he winced in pain. “I don’t get you, Marco! Sure, things haven’t turned out the way you imagined it, but that’s not a reason for you to be like this. Spending a night in this apartment doesn’t sound that horrible. So stop pouting and cheer up, because I don’t like this look on your face!”

Marco wanted to keep up the mask of his resentment, but he simply couldn’t. Not when he saw Erik’s warm and adorable smile, his twinkling puppy eyes and his soft cheeks with the dimples. He managed to control his lips for one second, but after that, they curled up in a weak smile that deepened. Erik was right. Staying in this room wasn’t the end of the world.

“That’s much better.” Erik nodded. “But maybe I can make you even happier.” He chuckled teasingly, wrapping his arms around Marco’s neck.

“Oh, really?” Marco asked. “I’m all ears.”

Erik leaned closer to him and Marco opened his mouth invitingly, but Erik reached for his ears instead. He held Marco’s earlobe with his teeth and gently tugged at it before he whispered a single world into the older one’s ear. “Strip!”

“What?” Marco snapped. He couldn’t believe what he had heard.

“I said, strip! You are wearing too many clothes for what I have in mind.” Erik repeated. He lifted their luggage and walked towards one of the two bedrooms. Marco watched him incredulously. Erik had sounded so determined and his one word was like an order. An order that made Marco’s manhood twitch to life. He hesitated for a moment, listening to the voice of his common sense. No, having sex a few hours before they would meet his parents wasn’t a good idea, but something that he had to do.

He started to unbutton his shirt on his way to their bedroom and the moment he entered the room, he tossed it on a chair. Erik was kneeling on the bed, wearing only his boxers, a small bottle in his hands. Marco grinned at him and quickly lost his pants and underwear with a swift movement. He stepped out of them along with his shoes and he lay down on the bed next to his boyfriend, not even ashamed of his huge boner.

“Roll around.” Erik said simply. Marco raised an eyebrow. No foreplay? Erik was skipping a few things and was going to start with the main thing right away. But Marco didn’t object. He did as he was told and he shivered when he heard the popping sound of the bottle being opened. He had had an incredible first time of Erik taking him and he was eager to experience something similar again.

He heard as Erik smeared the content of the bottle on his fingers. Marco looked forward to the first contact with great anticipation. It took Erik ages to put away that bottle and lean over Marco…

And he placed his hands on Marco’s back.

“What the–” Marco started, frustrated.

“What did you expect?” Erik snickered smugly, knowing exactly what he had let Marco believe.

“That you would pleasure me down south?” Marco suggested.

“We might come to that, darling.” Erik laughed, his fingers starting to knead the little muscle knots on Marco’s back. “Relax, and enjoy it.”

“It will be easy.” Marco sighed. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Erik’s fingertips massaging him. It was like heaven and strangely, almost more erotic than what he had wanted his boyfriend to do a few seconds ago.

“You’re full of tension.” Erik stated, focusing on a very tight and painful knot. Marco hissed in pain, but the muscle finally gave way.

Erik slowly but steadily worked his way down Marco’s spine and continued down his smooth legs. The blonde moaned in pleasure and his erection didn’t fade at all. He was rock-hard by now and wondered how long Erik would tease him. Not that he didn’t like what he was getting, but he had other needs to be looked after and very soon if Erik wanted to keep on massaging him like this.

“Turn around. I need you to lie on your back.” Erik told him and Marco obeyed without hesitation. Erik lifted his feet and put them in his lap, starting to massage them.

Marco whined and tossed and quivered on the bed from the pleasure he was going through. “Erik, please!”

“Please, what?” Erik raised an eyebrow.

“I need you.” Marco whispered.

“Do you?” Erik snickered and he bent down and started to suck on Marco’s toes.

It was so intense that Marco came hard. He sat up, trying to hold back his orgasm, but he was already over the edge. He hid his cock that had betrayed him with his hands in his shame, trying to pick up his seed spilling everywhere. He did his best to avoid Erik’s gaze. He couldn’t believe what had happened. He had been like a virgin teenage boy, coming from a simple massage.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what has hap–” He started to explain, but Erik silenced him with a kiss, this time on his lips.

“It’s okay, Marco.” He said. He put his thumb under Marco’s chin and lifted his head so they were face to face. “I found this massage on the Internet and I thought I’d give it a try. They promised a lot and I can see that most of it was true.” He chuckled.

“You planned this?” Marco asked bewildered. He didn’t know what to think. On one hand, he was touched that Erik was looking for ways to enliven their, hm– bedroom activities, but on the other hand, how could Erik be so cruel and not warn him? It could have saved him a feeling of shame.

“Yep.” Erik nodded. “Didn’t you like it?” He asked worried.

“It was great, I just don’t know what to say.” Marco stammered.

“I do.” Erik smiled. “Nothing. We should take a shower now and after that, we could do an experiment, if you want to. I wonder if this massage is as effective on me as it is on you.” He chuckled wistfully.


	60. Mother Love

They got in the taxi knowing that Marco’s hands were at least as skilled as Erik’s. The brunette writhed on the sheets the same way Marco must have done a bit earlier and watching his pleasure visible on his face was almost as satisfying and arousing as receiving the same ministration had been. Marco’s manhood twitched to life again and their second shower together didn’t ease his mind at all. He climbed into the backseat of the car horny. Erik sat very close to him, his aftershave and cologne filled Marco’s nostrils. The blonde couldn’t be sure if this was part of Erik’s plan or not, but if the brunette was doing this on purpose, he was doing a hell of a great job.

Marco was reluctant to leave the taxi because he knew what or rather who was waiting for him outside, in front of the hotel. His parents stood hand in hand right next to the entrance. When his mother spotted them, she waved at them frantically. If Marco had felt like having this dinner, he would have lost all his enthusiasm right now. It was only the memory of his tender moments with Erik that gave him the power to go through this dinner at all costs. He hoped that if he would be nice to his parents, Erik would give him more of himself. If he had to smile all evening for that, so be it.

“Where are we going?” Marco asked his father after the compulsory round of greetings.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Why don’t we start off that way and see what we find?”

No one had a better idea so they started walking. Marco was glad that his parents hadn’t prepared a ‘plan’, because he felt calmer. His father must have talked to his mother, as she didn’t force herself on him. It was almost ideal and held the promise of a nice evening after all. But then, Marco heard the voice of the man who could ruin everything.

“Erik! Marco! Mrs. Reus!” Mario called from behind them. Marco spun around, his eyes on fire, but Erik was quick to step to him and calm him down. The couple approached them slowly, both of them munching on a hot dog.

“Mario, what a lovely surprise!” Marco’s mother turned to him. “I was afraid that you would miss our dinner.”

“What dinner?” Mario asked stunned.

“Hasn’t Marco told you about it?” She frowned, sending a cutting glance towards her son.

“I haven’t had the time.” Marco murmured.

“It doesn’t matter.” She shrugged. “The important thing is that now you are here and we can eat together. Of course, the invitation applies to your–” She looked questioningly at Julian. Marco waited for his co-pilot’s introduction so much. He wanted to see his mother’s face when she would learn that Mario is taken and her plan to get them together wouldn’t work.

“Boyfriend. I’m Julian.” He stepped closer and shook hands with Marco’s parents. His mother looked disappointed indeed. “Thank you for the invitation, but unfortunately, we have other things planned for tonight.” He said smiling, and Marco let out a relieved sigh. At least he had one ally apart from Erik.

“Do we?” Mario asked.

“Yes.” Julian said firmly. “We wish you a wonderful evening. Enjoy your dinner.” He nodded and walked past them, tugging Mario after him. The barman seemed helpless as he was dragged along, and after a few seconds, he gave up protesting and walked briskly by his boyfriend’s side.

“What a rude boy!” Mrs. Reus complained.

“Quite the contrary, he’s a great guy!” Marco snickered. The look on his mother’s face was priceless. Deep in her heart she still feared that Marco would join a gang and mix with the wrong men, Marco was sure of that.

“What about this restaurant?” The head of the family asked.

They entered the little and cozy dinner place. It wasn’t crowded, so they could have their dinner in peace, but it wasn’t too empty, so a possible clash between Marco and his mother wouldn’t cause a huge stir. Marco was still alert and would stay like that for the duration of this dinner. There was no way that his mother had changed her attitude towards him and Erik so suddenly. No one could make her change her mind, not even Marco’s father.

“So how are you doing, darling?” She asked once they ordered their meals and they were sipping some delicious wine.

“Fine, thank you.” Marco said.

“Are you working together the entire month?” She continued. It was becoming something similar to an interrogation. A much more comfortable interrogation than the one they had had to endure with Kirch.

“Yes.” Marco nodded.

“I hope you won’t get enough of each other.” She chuckled.

“No, we couldn’t do that even if we wanted to, Mrs. Reus.” Erik joined in. “Since I moved in with Marco, we are spending most of our time together and it couldn’t be better.”

Marco froze in his place as realization hit him. He knew that they had forgotten to tell something to his mother. But, everything had happened so quickly and he hadn’t had the time to update her about them making the next step in their relationship. He now looked at her warily, expecting her fury to be released, but luckily, she seemed to be able to deal with it for the time being. But, Marco wasn’t a fool and he knew that he should expect his mother to bring it up sooner rather than later.

He didn’t have to wait that much, indeed. After they finished their dinner, Erik got up and excused himself, heading for the toilet. Marco saw a small sparkle in his mother’s eyes and knew that he had a few long moments in front of him.

“So now you are living together? Isn’t it a bit early for that?” She asked indignantly.

“Yeah, Mom, I’m sorry I haven’t told you, but–” He tried to apologize, but his efforts fell on deaf ears.

“No, it’s okay. Why would you tell anything to your mother?”

“Manuela, I think it’s not a big deal.” Marco’s father came to his help.

“It’s not a big deal? Well, maybe he won’t tell us about them getting married, either. Or has it already happened?” She turned to Marco who had turned a color redder than red.

“You should stop. Now.” The head of the family said firmly.

“So I’m the bad for caring about my son? I just want to be sure that he doesn’t make a big mistake.”

“I said, stop!” Thomas Reus repeated, raising his voice. His wife gaped at him helplessly, trying to come up with something in her defense, but she gave up finally.

“I’ve had enough of you, Mom!” Marco burst out. “I don’t want you to control my life. I know that you love me and you are doing it because of that, but it has to stop. I’m a grown-up men and I expect you to treat me as one. I don’t think that it’s too much to ask for. Maybe you don’t think that Erik is the best man for me. You know what, maybe he isn’t, how could I know? But he is the man _I_ chose and you have to accept it, whether you like it, or not.” Marco said in a wave of anger, unaware of Erik standing right behind him and listening to all of it.


	61. Making Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter last but one, I hope you will enjoy it. I hope the last chapter will be an intense, tender and fluffy end to this story, but I couldn't help it and put some drama into this update. I hope you will like it. Thank you for your feedback under the last chapters, please keep it up if you liked this chapter as well. :-)

Erik stood glued to his place. No one sitting at the table seemed to have noticed him, they were all too caught up in their heated conversation. Erik hadn’t heard much of it, but it was easy for him to guess what they had been talking about: him. He had heard Marco’s love declaration of some kind and it had left him with doubts. His boyfriend hadn’t sounded totally convinced of their romance. It had hurt Erik so much when Marco had said that he might not be the best man for him. Erik felt as if he had let the blonde down, but he was wise enough not to make any conclusions. Who knows what Marco had had to endure in the minutes prior?

Erik had tried to play down this dinner with Marco’s parents, but he knew very well what it meant to the pilot. He knew about the unsolved issues between Marco and his overprotective mother. He wasn’t a fool and he was sure that he hadn’t quite won Mrs. Reus’s favor. She had been nice to him whenever they had met, but there had always been a spark of disappointment in her eyes. She had imagined someone much better for his only son and Erik felt that he could never live up to her expectations and Marco’s love declaration made him question whether he would ever live up to Marco’s.

He just stood there, not daring to brake the awkward silence that ruled over their table. It was only Marco’s dad who made him make a move. The oldest member of the Reus family glanced at him casually and shot him an encouraging look. Erik took a faltering step towards them and slumped down next to his boyfriend.

“What did I miss?” He asked, as if he had no idea about the tension that was still tangible in the air.

“Nothing, sweetheart.” Marco said, emphasizing the last word.

He had never called Erik as such and it bothered the brunette. What was wrong with the pilot? Marco seemed so eager to prove his point. He flung an arm around Erik’s waist and pulled him closer to him. He gave him a chaste kiss, but his eyes never left his mother. It was more than enough for Erik. He didn’t want to be Marco’s tool to prove his mother wrong. He pushed his boyfriend away, careful to make his annoyance obvious only to his boyfriend, but not to his parents.

“Can we go now?” He asked, forcing a yawn from himself. “I’m exhausted.”

“Of course.” Marco nodded. “I’ll ask for the bill.”

“Don’t even try to do that!” Mr. Reus bellowed. “We’ve invited you.”

“Thanks, Dad!” Marco smiled at him. “I don’t suppose that we will meet each other again, so enjoy your vacation.” He continued, standing up, already heading towards the exit.

“Marco, darling, can I have a word with you?” Mrs. Reus spoke up.

“Um–” Marco hummed, exchanging glances between his mother and Erik.

“I’ll wait for you outside.” Erik decided it for him, his voice sounding truly tired, but for other reasons this time. “Good night, Mrs. and Mr. Reus!” He said goodbye and left with a sour taste in his mouth. Something wasn’t right and he was determined to put an end to it tonight.

 

 

 

“What do you want, Mom?” Marco snapped angrily. His boyfriend was waiting for him and he would choose him any time over his mother, especially after tonight’s dinner. He had sensed that there had been something Erik hadn’t liked, but maybe he had just imagined it.

“Apologize.” She said weakly and her trembling voice made Marco feel sorry. He really shouldn’t have been so rude to her. “I’m sorry if my caring for you was too much. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. It’s only because I love you so much, but I will try to restrain myself, okay? And please, don’t worry about me disliking Erik. He is a wonderful boy and I would be happy to have him in the family, if you know what I mean.” She winked at him playfully.

“Mom! We’re not that far in our relationship!” Marco shouted, but this time out of irritation instead of real anger or annoyance.

“Anyways, I hope you aren’t too mad at me, Marco. I love you so much, and I don’t want anything to get in between us. You are my little son and you will always be.” She said, fighting with her tears.

“Oh, Mom!” Marco sighed. He ran to his mother and hugged her. “I can never be mad at you. Yes, you are annoying sometimes, but if you promise to try to stop that, it’s more than okay with me. And even if you keep bugging me about my life choices, you will still be my mother. Nothing will change that.”

“Thank you, Marco.” She stammered. Apparently, she had lost her battle with crying, because teardrops ran down her cheeks. “You are a wonderful son!”

“I’ve had the best parents.” Marco snickered, his comment earning a soft chuckle from his mother, too.

“Now that you’ve made up, rush to your boyfriend, Marco.” His father joined the conversation. “He might have heard more than you think he did.”

Marco looked at his father with a horrid expression. He didn’t know what to make out of his words and he took them literally, charging past a bewildered waiter onto the busy Sydney street. Erik stood a few steps away, his back to the wall, staring at the night sky. Marco couldn’t read anything out of his face and it made him even more worried. He knew what he had promised his mother, but if Erik had heard something she had said, then he would change his opinion on that.

“Erik, babe.” He said, expecting a clue from his boyfriend.

“There’s no need to call me by pet names, your mother isn’t nearby, is she?” Erik snorted.

“What?” Marco asked shocked. He was definitely going to talk to his mother again. “Erik, if my Mom said something that offended you, then–”

“No, it’s not something she said.” Erik ranted, gesticulating with his arms wildly. “Not everything is about her. I’ve heard what you said to her.”

“What do you mean?” Marco was still clueless. His declaration of love had come from the bottom of his heart and there was nothing about it he thought offensive or a reason for Erik’s outburst.

“What did you mean with your little monologue? Aren’t you sure about us? I thought we were past this trust issue! How can we live together if you don’t know that I’m the best for you or not?” He let all his anger come out in one wave of emotions.

And Marco finally understood. His features softened and he reached for Erik’s hands. The brunette didn’t push him away and Marco led him into a more deserted side street.

“Erik.” He started. “Meeting you was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to me. No one can change that. Not Mario, not my mother, no one. And I don’t want to screw it up, either. Because you are my whole world. I know I have told you that I wanted to see the world with you, but honestly, it doesn’t matter anymore. Because since then, I realized that no matter where I might go, I will only feel happy there if you are by my side. And if we will live our lives on a couch in our house, it will be a life worth living for me, because I will know that you will be with me all the time. I’m sorry about what I said and that it made you feel uneasy. Please, let me prove that I mean my love.”

“We’ll see about that.” Erik muttered with a mischievous smile forming on his lips. “You might have gone through a dinner with your parents, Marco Reus, but you won’t shake me off that easily. I, contrary to you, am pretty sure about our love and I’ve made some arrangements before we flew here, too. Mario and Julian might have shaken things up a bit, but they can’t challenge my genius.” He laughed. “I have plans for tonight and you better do your best.” He winked at Marco, tugging him towards an unknown destination.


	62. A Promise for the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your wonderful support throughout this fic. This is the last chapter and I wanted to make it very special for you, because you deserve it for being such an incredible audience. :-) I hope you will like it, let me know what you think of it, I'm always interested in your opinion.

Marco had promised Erik that he was going to trust him with his plan, but after two hours of driving through Sydney and then a forest in a rented car, he doubted that he could keep his promise. His boyfriend drove very carefully and without any navigation, that’s why he had to concentrate on the road, so he wouldn’t miss the next turn they had to take. His determined face was the only thing that made Marco keep silent. He didn’t want to disturb Erik, because in the middle of the forest they had been driving through for the past hour or so, it was easy to get lost even with a car.

The asphalt road soon ended end Erik stopped in a parking place. Marco shot him a questioning look, but the brunette didn’t give him any hints whatsoever. A warm smile was all that Marco got before they got out of the car and Erik locked it, checking it twice. Everything was dark around them and for a moment, Marco thought that they had gotten lost after all. The ocean’s constant roaring was the only sound that gave him an idea about where they were. Somewhere very close to the shore, that much was clear.

“We have to walk a bit from here.” Erik said and reached for Marco’s hand. The blonde took it and they started off towards the woods. “There will be stairs and roots of trees, so be careful where you step, okay?”

“Erik, where are we going?” Marco couldn’t withhold his curiosity any longer.

“You’ll see, love.” Erik snickered. “It’s like fifteen minutes from here.”

They walked in silence, fumbling their way with their feet. Stone stairs led them lower and lower and Marco now suspected where they were headed. The salty smell of the ocean got stronger with every step and it was the last affirmation that Marco needed: they were going to the coast.

“This way!” Erik said at a crossroads and they took the steeper road.

After a few more steps, Marco felt sand under his shoes and he had to gasp for breath when he saw the view in front of him. They were standing on a beach where the cliff and the forest had given way to the ocean’s force during the millennia. It was so peaceful here, the waves crashing making the only sound. There was no sign of human interference here. Marco saw some city lights in the distance, but they were barely noticeable and the moon and the stars were the only things shining at them this late.

“So, what do you say?” Erik asked, his excitement audible in his voice.

“It’s wonderful!” Marco panted. “Too bad I haven’t brought my swimwear.” He sighed.

“Well” Erik started mischievously, leaning on Marco’s shoulder as he stepped out of his shoes “, no one’s around and I wouldn’t mind taking a dip.”

By the time he finished the sentence, he was standing in all his naked glory, the silvery light of the moon playing on his toned muscles. Marco watched him incredulously. He was way too shy to even think about something like this and yet, now that he saw his boyfriend, he felt the urge to go with him and fool around in the water.

“Coming or what?” Erik asked, turning around and walking to the sea. He slowed down when he got close and let the waves lick his feet, so he could check if the water was warm enough. But once he found it out, he started running until the ground disappeared from under his feet and he jumped in the water like a small kid.

Marco watched him amused and started to strip. He was sure that they were breaking some laws, but he couldn’t care less. He walked to a board that asked people to keep the beach clean and put his clothes on it. He hesitated a bit before he stepped out of his boxers, because the night air felt cold.

“Hurry up, Marco! It’s amazing!” Erik shouted and Marco quickly stepped out of his last garment and ran towards his boyfriend.

The water was warm indeed. The summer sun had heated it up well enough, so it couldn’t cool down during the night. Marco felt all his muscles relax when the water enveloped his body. He forgot about everything, only this moment mattered. He swam to Erik who welcomed him by splashing water in his face. They laughed carelessly and played and shouted like two young boys. Marco tried to grab Erik and pull him closer to him, but the brunette slipped out of his grasp every single time, inviting Marco for a game of tag.

Erik turned out to be a much quicker swimmer than Marco and when he saw that the pilot pursued him unavailingly, he stopped and let him catch up to him. His happy smile warmed Marco’s heart and he regretted his hurting of Erik even more.

“I love you so much.” He gasped, snaking his arms around Erik’s strong waist and lifting him, aided by the water. Erik got the hint and he let himself be moved, wrapping his arms around Marco’s neck and burying his head in the blonde locks of hair.

Marco started to dab kisses all over Erik’s chest and he licked up the salty drops of water that were sweetened by his boyfriend’s smell and taste. The pilot couldn’t have imagined a better way of spending their night and he knew that no matter how much sleep he would get tonight, he would wake up well-rested in the morning.

“Starting to appreciate my wonderful mind, yet?” Erik snickered. He lowered himself so that they were looking into each other’s eyes.

“I’ve never doubted your ideas, babe.” Marco smiled and this time, Erik enjoyed being called like that. Marco reached forward and gave him a peck. “You are full of amazing surprises.”

“And I never run out of them.” Erik chuckled and he pressed his bottom on Marco’s groin, earning a moan from the older one. The blonde’s manhood woke up immediately, poking at Erik’s puckered entrance. “I thought that you would like that, too.”

“Why are you torturing me?” Marco pouted and whined and Erik couldn’t help but laugh, seeing his boyfriend’s despair.

“Who told you that you can’t have me, darling?” He snickered and he would never forget the look on Marco’s face when he pulled back stunned. “There’s lube in the back pocket of my jeans and I’ve prepared myself in the restaurant for you.” He winked at the blonde.

“That can’t be…” Marco gaped, his mind fogged by the proof of Erik’s love and foresight.

“Do you want to check it?” Erik teased him as he slipped out of Marco’s hold and swam towards the shore. When his legs touched the seabed, he walked leisurely, giving Marco time to come back to his senses and catch up to him.

In the end, the pilot walked past him and rushed to the pile of Erik’s clothes. And there it was indeed, the little bottle that made Marco so happy. A smug grin spread across his face as he turned around. Erik was lying on the sand still wet from the high tide, the waves of the ocean barely touching his legs. Marco returned to him and climbed on top of him.

“You. Are. The. Most. Amazing. Boyfriend. Ever.” He said during the breaks he made in between kissing Erik’s full lips passionately.

The brunette seemed as eager as he was and his hands pulled Marco closer until their bodies touched as closely as possible and their legs were entangled. The sand stuck to their damp skin and their hair was full of it, but they couldn’t care less about it. They were focused on each other and on making love to each other. Their tongues danced and their bodies writhed into unnatural positions, just to get more friction so they could feel each other more.

They were both rock hard and Marco almost came as their cocks brushed against each other. It was the sweetest touch he could imagine. He moaned, but his moans were swallowed eagerly by Erik’s hungry mouth inviting him deeper and deeper. He couldn’t tell how much time passed before Erik spread his legs and pushed him lower.

Marco’s shaft was nudging against Erik’s rosebud now and the blonde could feel that the muscle was looser than usually. He wanted this night and moment to last forever, but he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He broke their kiss and reached for the lube. He opened the bottle with a quiet pop and poured the liquid on his fingers. He wanted to make sure that his boyfriend was wide enough, but when he easily slipped in three of his digits, he pulled out and reached for his cock.

“Um, I don’t have a condom.” He admitted sheepishly and blushing not only because of the heated moment, but also from his embarrassment. If only he had known what Erik had had in mind!  
“It’s okay.” The brunette smiled at him. He sat up and kissed Marco quickly. “I still haven’t slept with anyone since I met you and I still trust you.” He chuckled and lay back, anticipating Marco’s intrusion.

Marco shook his head. Erik was the most wonderful man he would ever meet. He lined himself up and slowly thrust his hips forward. His cock slipped into Erik easily and his inner walls pushed against Marco with such intensity that it almost pushed him over the edge immediately.  
He stalled to give Erik time to adjust to the stretching and so he could calm down a little bit. He took deep breaths and waited until his excitement eased down a bit. Then, he picked up a slow and steady rhythm. They had all the time in the world, no one would catch them, Marco was sure of it. This moment was too great to be ruined by anyone or anything. He wanted Erik to enjoy this as much as he enjoyed it. He massaged Erik’s secret core and he thrust deeper and deeper until he reached the younger one’s sweet spot.

“Oh, yes, right there, Marco!” Erik panted. “You feel so great in me!” His eyes were closed and his face flushed and it was apparent that he couldn’t think straight through his ecstasy.

Marco bent down on him, lifting the brunette’s hips to allow himself better access. At the same time, he started to kiss Erik and the young man answered his efforts absentmindedly, too caught up in pleasure to actually know what he was doing.

Marco didn’t mind it, at all. He loved to see his boyfriend like this, knowing that it was _he_ who made Erik enjoy their lovemaking so much. He waved in unison with the ocean and whenever the water licked their soles, he thrust into Erik, pulling out with the receding tide. He saw Erik’s cock leaking pre-cum, the drops pooling on his flat abdomen and glistening in the moonlight. He didn’t wrap his fingers around the throbbing manhood; he was determined to bring his love with only thrusting into him over and over again.

Marco didn’t know how long it lasted, but it wasn’t important at all. Erik opened up so much that the blonde reached deeper than ever before and he couldn’t tell anymore where his body ended and where Erik’s started. The only sign of Erik’s approaching climax was his hectic breathing and his legs trembling in ecstasy.

Their orgasms took them in the exact same moment and Marco collapsed on Erik because he couldn’t hold himself up any longer. He felt his boyfriend shooting his load between their bodies while he filled the brunette with his seeds. It was the most intense orgasm he had ever had and based on Erik’s reaction, he was sure that the other man felt the same way. They didn’t say anything, their bodies told everything that needed to be told. They lived through the throes of their passion together and Marco stayed inside of Erik until the soft waves of their orgasms subsided.

“This was–” He started to say, but Erik silenced him with putting his finger on Marco’s lips.

“Shh, don’t ruin it.” He said, his eyes still closed and Marco understood what he meant. There were no words to describe this lovemaking and if he had tried, he could never come even close to expressing the emotions they had. “But we might have to swim a bit to clean ourselves.” He chuckled and stood up, giving Marco a hand.

They walked hand in hand until the water reached up to their knees and then they sat down, so the waves could wash their bodies. They sat there next to each other, holding hands and staring at the night sky. The countless stars were the only witnesses to their intimate moment and a teardrop ran down Marco’s cheeks from the beauty of the situation.

“What are you thinking about?” Erik brought him out of his musings.

“It’s something my Mom said.” Marco chuckled and turned to Erik. The brunette looked back at him clueless. “She said that because I didn’t tell her about you moving in with me, maybe I wouldn’t tell her about us getting married, either.” He explained. “Erik, if one day I would ask you to be my husband, do you think that you would say yes?”

The question surprised Erik, but his shock didn’t last long because almost immediately, he started to smirk. “Luckily, I don’t have to worry about that.” He laughed and Marco shot him a bewildered look. Could it be that his boyfriend didn’t want to live with him for the rest of his life? “Knowing you and how you tend to overthink things, if I had to wait until you would propose to me, I would probably die as a bachelor. So no, Marco Reus, I think _I_ will have to ask you to marry me.” He chuckled and Marco couldn’t withhold a sigh of relief. Erik’s face turned serious though as he continued.

“And one day I’m sure I will.”

 

THE END


End file.
